Eidolon
by Psyche613
Summary: The close bond that quickly developed between the Amazon Princess and the Dark Knight was strong and undeniable. Will discovering its true source strengthen that bond or sever it forever?
1. Nightmare

And thee my soul,  
Joys, ceaseless exercises, exaltations,  
Thy yearning amply fed at last, prepared to meet,  
Thy mates, eidolons.

Thy body permanent,  
The body lurking there within thy body,  
The only purport of the form thou art, the real I myself,  
An image, an eidolon.

- from _Eidolons_ in _Leaves of Grass_, Walt Whitman (1819-1892)

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**NIGHTMARE**

A mother and daughter, one golden-haired and one dark, walked hand in hand up a sandy beach. The sun was setting in a blaze of crimson and gold, reflecting off of the deep blue of the ocean. While maintaining a youthful beauty, the mother exuded the poise and self-confidence that comes from many years of life experience. The child, full of exuberance and energy, possessed great beauty as well, but also wisdom that far exceeded her physical maturity.

Upon the beach, two figures appeared in a shimmer of white light. The first figure was dark-haired man, who possessed a wide expanse of white wings. The woman with him was blonde and carried a sword, eyes covered by a white scarf. Both appeared bathed in a glowing yellow-white light.

The mother and daughter bowed as the man and woman stood before them.

The woman spoke first. She addressed the mother.

"When your wish for a child was granted, it was foretold that she would be important to our world and to the world outside of these shores. You were instructed to train her well, for she will have important duties set upon her one day. The day foretold is not yet come. My companion and I are here to tell of another responsibility required of the young child. This charge she is to fulfill now and it will continue until the desired outcome is achieved."

The mother looked on the two with concern. "But my lady, she is but a child. She has not yet completed her training."

"Fear not," the man replied, "the child now possesses all that is necessary to successfully perform the duty before her. She need only the blessings bestowed on her already, her wisdom and kindness of heart. She shall not need to leave your care to complete her task."

The woman knelt on one knee, taking the dark-haired child's hand in her own. The child gazed at the woman, blue eyes wide with wonder.

"Little one, there is a another child in the outside world who has suffered a great loss. One day he will also be a great champion for your people and for the entire world, but he needs set upon the correct path. You will guide him there."

* * *

"_Beware of my terrible sword!"_

They said she had to see it through his eyes, touch it through his skin, feel it through his heart. They took her back there to see it, touch it, feel it. The same as it had been with him.

_I was surrounded by the feeling of warmth and love._

At first, the feeling was almost no different from that she felt every day on the island. They made their demands on her in training, but her mother, her aunt, and her sisters together, made her feel cared for and loved every day. She had never experienced a moment of fear, sadness, or grief in her entire life.

The same as it had been with him.

_**Confusion. **_

_The man wanted money. Why did he have a gun? He didn't need a gun. Dad would give him money. He gave lots of people money all of the time._

_**Fear. **_

_I felt my heart pounding. The man was angry. He pointed the gun at Dad and yelled. He wanted mom's pearls. He pointed the gun at mom. My heart pounded harder. The man grabbed mom. He wanted her pearls. Dad grabbed the man. I watched the spray of tiny white orbs as they broke away and rolled into the blackness._

_**Terror. **_

_I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I could only look. I could only listen._

_They were loud. I don't know why I counted them, but I did. There were six. _

_**One.**__ The blast from the first echoed off into the black night sky. _

_**Two.**__ I could feel the wetness on my face. I looked down. The moisture fell from my face like scarlet tears. It wept red onto my coat. _

_So much blood. It was spraying, spurting. Dad. Bursting from under collar of his shirt. It rained red everywhere. It was on me. It was on mom._

_**Three. Four.**__ I watched as the two small dark stains appeared on the front of Dad's coat. I watched them grow. They got bigger. And bigger. _

_Screaming. I heard screaming. Mom was screaming. She reached for Dad. She pressed closer…to him…to them. _

_**Five. Six.**__ Mom stopped screaming. She held her hands pressed against the front of her coat. The red spilled out from behind them. She looked at me. She looked repentant. Like she had done something wrong. She slowly slid down to the ground next to Dad. He had fallen down. I hadn't noticed. He was still._

_**Click. Click.**__ I looked at the man. He looked at me. He ran away._

_**Confusion. Fear. Terror. Grief. **_

_I could still feel the wetness on my face. It slid down my cheeks, mixed with my tears. The salty taste lingered on my lips. _

_I knelt next to her. I held her hand. It was cold. _

"_No. Please, no."_

_She still looked at me. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." _

"_I love you."_

"_It will be okay."_

_It wasn't. It couldn't be. It won't be._

_**Confusion. Fear. Terror. Grief. Anger. Rage.**_

He sat up in his bed, screaming, shaking, crying. His ice-blue eyes flew wide open with fear and anguish.

She sat up in her bed, screaming, shaking, crying. Her cerulean-blue eyes flew wide open with fear and anguish.


	2. Dream

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

DREAM

They told her his name was Bruce.

He was the first boy she had ever seen.

They told her that he was older now. They told her the time was nearing for him to leave his home and there was much waiting for him on his journey. They told her that he was to study and learn all over the world and to prepare for the destiny that was waiting for him.

Now he needed to be set upon the correct path. She was to lead him to it. After she led him there, her task would be complete.

She had also been told that when she saw him he would look the same as he did that night. As he had in the nightmare she had shared with him. He would look the same – but he wouldn't _be_ the same. Time had passed for him. Five years. He was older. He had hardened. They said it was important to remember that, as he would probably resist her.

Morpheus had explained to her that the boy was often plagued by Phobetor, the brother of Morpheus, and forced to relive that night again and again while he slept. Whenever she was needed, Morpheus would to take her to him. She was to lead him out of Phobetor's nightmares and provide some measure of comfort while she lead him toward the destiny that Themis had foretold.

Themis, being the Goddess of Justice, had rules. Of course. She couldn't tell him her name. She could guide him to his path, but it had to ultimately be his decision to step upon it. When her task was complete, he would not remember her. It would be as any other dream – it would soon fade. She should not and could not visit him again in his dreams. If she were to meet him again one day, in the physical world, she was not to tell him about the time they had spent together. Themis explained that he must believe that his path had been chosen by his own free will – which it was to be so. If he discovered her involvement, he may question this truth and then many would then be at risk.

The night she prepared to visit him for the first time, Themis had reminded her that the key was to use the blessings bestowed upon her. Wisdom, kindness, and especially persistence were to be her greatest tools. He was stubborn, Themis had told her. That is why she, specifically, had been called.

And so she had been called when he next entered the realm of Hypnos. In the comfort of her bed, she fell into a deep slumber and soon found herself in that dark alley in the strange world. It was familiar to her. It was the same as before.

The boy sat on the ground, next to the man and woman. He was still holding the woman's lifeless hand. She watched him for a moment. The empathy she felt for him almost overwhelmed her. Fighting tears, she went to him. He needed her strength. She would give it to him. When she reached him she stood by his side for a moment, looking at his mother and his father, as he was.

Then she spoke. "You don't have to stay here," she whispered.

He hadn't noticed her. He looked up, startled. Then he looked confused. Then he looked angry. His face was still streaked with blood and tears. It had dried into a thin crust on his cheeks. His blue eyes looked weary. Her heart ached at the sight of him.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" he asked her.

She dropped to her knees beside him. "I was sent here for you. You do not have to stay in this place. Nor do you have to come back."

His face, tortured with grief, twisted into anger. "Go away. I do have to be here. They're here. It's you that shouldn't be." He looked back down at them. He hadn't released his mother's hand.

She gave him a small smile as she said, "Ah, but they are not." Reaching down, she took his hand in hers, replacing the cold hand with her warm one. "They do not want you to stay here."

He pulled his hand away. She could see the rage in his eyes as he looked at her, but she could also see the fear and the grief. The five years had passed, but the emotion still lingered as strong as it had that night.

"How do you know that? You _can't _know that. Where are they then?" he demanded angrily.

"Where I'm from it is called the Elysian Fields. It is a beautiful place where the righteous, heroic, and virtuous souls are to remain after death, to live blessed and happy in the afterlife."

He replied quietly, "We call that heaven. But it doesn't really exist. Go away. I'm not leaving."

She took his hand in hers again, her grip stronger this time. Then she stood and pulled him to his feet. It didn't matter that he tried to resist. He couldn't. She was much stronger than him.

"Come," she said.

"Wait," he replied as if something had suddenly occurred to him. "Are you real?"

"I am. In my world I am very real. But for you, I can only be real through the intervention of Morpheus."

"Morpheus?"

She nodded her head. "I can only be real for you while you dream."

"If this is just a dream, why can I feel it when you touch me?"

"It's your dream. You feel what you want to feel and touch what you want to touch. I am alive and I am real, although I'm not physically here. Only my spirit is."

"You are a spirit? A phantom? And your spirit can touch me?"

She nodded again. "Only if you wish it."

"What's your name?" he demanded.

"It matters not what my name is. I am here only as a guide, to help you find your way."

"My way where?"

She shook her head. "That is all I can say. Where would you like to go?"

"We're going somewhere?"

"Yes, Bruce."

"No," he refused.

"No?"

"You know me. You know my name. I'm not going anywhere until you tell me who you are."

_Hera, this boy was tiresome._ She sighed. "As I said, for you, I am simply a guide."

"If you are simply a guide for me, who are you where you are from?"

She thought for a moment. "A princess. Now, where would you like to go?"

He looked at her incredulously. "A princess." His expression suddenly changed to one of comprehension. "Now I understand. I've gone insane. Thirteen is young for a schizophrenic break, but it could happen."

It was her turn to look at him with a look of confusion. "What is this – schizophrenic break?"

"I'm hallucinating. Seeing things that aren't there."

"Oh." She paused for a moment, and then punched him on the arm with her free hand.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Does it feel like you are hallucinating?" She smiled at him.

"No. Maybe. I don't know what hallucinating is supposed to feel like. But it doesn't matter anyway. I don't really care if I go insane." All of a sudden he sounded more sad, apathetic.

He looked down at the street. His lifeless parents were no longer lying on the ground. He looked back at her, suspicion reflected in his icy eyes.

"Where did they go?" he said angrily.

She looked at him with sympathy. "As I said, they are not really here. You brought them back here. Only you."

"I didn't bring you here."

"No, Morpheus brought me here. But you allow it to be so."

"I could stop allowing it."

"I suppose you could try. I hope that you do not."

He looked at her for a moment. "I don't know why I'm even talking to you at all. I really don't talk to anyone anymore unless I have to. I usually don't have to. For some reason though, I don't want you to go away yet."

He nodded toward the ground where his parents had been. "I want to go where they are."

A look of sadness and regret crossed her features as she slowly shook her head. "I am sorry. I am not permitted to take you there. Only those who have passed are permitted to go there."

"The Elysian Fields?"

She nodded.

"Is that close to where you are from?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then take me to your home."

So, the first time she visited him in his dream, she took him to the island. They didn't speak any more of his parents. She showed him the temples and explained what she could about her home. She couldn't explain much. She wasn't permitted to.

The second time Morpheus called her, she found him again in the alley in the midst of the nightmare. The man was struggling with his father. She walked straight to him.

As she drew close, he watched transfixed as the figures of his father, mother, and the man with the gun disappeared, as if washed away by water.

"Stop this, Bruce. Stop bringing them here. Let them rest."

He lowered his head and looked away from her. "You're back," he whispered.

"Yes."

"I thought you were just in my dream."

"I am just in your dream. But as I explained, I am also real."

He raised his head to look at her. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the bruises on his face. She reached out and gently brushed them with the tips of her fingers. He flinched.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I got into a fight."

She looked at him with obvious surprise. "You don't know how to fight?"

He shrugged. "They were a lot bigger."

"So? Then you don't fight very well."

He glared at her. "There were a lot of them."

"So?"

He glared harder. She laughed.

"As if _you_ can fight," he said, turning away.

She smiled broadly. "Would you like to see?"

"I'm not fighting a girl."

She laughed again. "We'll see."

She began to tell him about her training in great detail. She showed him how she was trained in hand to hand combat. This he was very interested in. She didn't realize it, but it was during this time that the first seeds began to take hold.

He eventually let her really 'show' him her fighting ability. At first he thought it weird to be fighting with a girl that was smaller than him. She teased him that he might be thirteen in his mind, that he still looked eight and she was bigger than he was. He then asked her age and was irritated, if not surprised, when she told him that it "mattered not" – she aged differently than he did anyway.

While they 'practiced' fighting, as he called it, Bruce began to really talk to her. She learned that he was very smart and studied with boys much older than him. He would finish school soon except that now he would finish his studies at home since his guardian took him out of school for fighting all the time. He spoke about someone called a school counselor who said he was starting fights because he wanted to get beat up. Bruce explained that even though he really didn't care if he got hurt, those boys were mean to lots of kids and if they picked on him they might not pick on the other kids. He really didn't like it when other kids got picked on. She told him that as long as he was fighting anyway, he might as well learn how to win.

Each time they met, their bond grew. She soon was able to meet him right at the beginning of the nightmare and it was as if he was waiting for her there. It had been some time since they had met in the alley and also found his parents or their killer there.

She would take him away from the alley. He would usually want to go to the cliffside by his home. There, they continued to talk and to 'practice' fighting. When they parted, it was always sudden and unexpected. It was like they were just pulled out of his dream. She would wake up in her bed and he in his. It happened this way each time until their very last meeting.

Morpheus had told her that it was to be their last meeting. Themis told her she had done well. The boy's guardian had seen a spark in Bruce that hadn't been there in five years. This had allowed his guardian great relief and so he had made plans to take Bruce abroad to study science and to learn different fighting styles, as this had become something he now cared about. Bruce hadn't cared about much at all for five years. This pleased his guardian who had been praying for something to interest his charge, if not to bring him happiness.

And so they met for the final time in his dreamland. Bruce told her that he was leaving to go study around the world. She did not show her disappointment; She encouraged him to learn everything he could and that it would be important for him to do so.

Bruce was nothing if not perceptive, so she didn't really need to explain that when she left this time, she would not visit him again. She did explain that he had found his own path and he no longer needed a guide. She knew he didn't want her to go. She didn't want to stop coming, either. However, she told him that his memory of her would fade, as any dream would over time. He didn't look convinced, but he didn't object or argue. As it would turn out in the future, her Gods had underestimated the power of Bruce Wayne's mind.

That final time, she left him back in the alley. It was empty now. He hadn't brought his parents there in some time. She believed that he wouldn't ever bring them there again. She would be wrong.

As she walked away from him, fading into the darkness, he called out one final question to her.

"Please - you say I won't remember you. If that's so, couldn't you at least tell me your name?"

She didn't stop walking away from him, but turned her head slightly to the side and smiled, arms folded behind her back. As she faded into the blackness he heard one more word from her.

"Diana."

* * *

Recalling the events from her childhood and the first connection established with Bruce, Diana gazed out of the window of her room at the Watchtower. Below her was the blue, green, and white colors of the earth.

There were no more tears left in her. She was empty, she was spent. She had also come to a decision. Picking up the phone that connected to a secure satellite, she made a call to the Earth below.

"Hello, it's Diana. Yes, it's nice to hear your voice too. I'm actually calling because I would like to see you... No, is there somewhere else we can meet?…..He is? Then yes, that would be fine. Why? To say goodbye….Yes, I'm leaving and would very much like for you to understand why. Yes, for good… No, I'm going home… Thank you, that would be fine. I will see you then."

Diana reflected on how, back then, she had left him reluctantly and without any choice. She was unhappy now, as he had been then, that they were not to see each other again. Or so they had believed. Now she was leaving of her own free will, but with the heartbreak of knowing that this time he probably never _wanted_ to see her again.

She thought that she had none left – that in the seclusion of her room, away from her colleagues, she had cried every drop she had in her. The tears began rolling down her cheeks again.


	3. Illusion

A/N: We're going for a walk down memory lane with this one. Bear with me, I feel like I need to tell it this way to establish how the 'connection' played into actual JL storylines, as well as explain why Diana and Bruce then behave as they do later in the story.

Major spoilers for 'The Brave and the Bold'; 'Fury'; 'Savage Time'; 'Starcrossed'; 'Maid of Honor'

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**ILLUSION**

Wonder Woman sat looking across the table into kind blue eyes. She lifted the steaming mug up to smell the aroma of the hot beverage inside. After taking a sip, she looked down at the cup as she sat it on the table and began to trace the rim with her index finger.

"I feel like I need to tell you everything. I am afraid that if I don't, you'll never know the truth. You should know – it involves you too. But he's not going to tell you. Now that I am here though, I'm not exactly sure where to start."

"Why don't you just start at the beginning?"

_Which beginning? _She nodded though and prepared to tell him everything.

When she had first left the island, she knew no one and knew almost nothing about man's world. She had never been there before, at least not physically.

Having spent her whole life on an island inhabited only by women, she had no experience interacting with men. Each man that she encountered after her arrival was a foreign being to her. In the beginning, their presence made her uneasy. Except for him – somehow he felt familiar and comfortable to her from the moment they'd met. At first she tried to ignore it. Feeling comfortable with a man just wasn't the Amazon way.

Of course, she didn't know who he was then; he hadn't willingly shared his identity with any of them. Superman was the only person who knew Batman's true identity before the Justice League was formed. She subsequently learned that this knowledge wasn't given freely by Batman out of trust – it was simply happened due to a lack of lead in the lining of the cowl. Something that Batman had quickly rectified. Even beyond the knowledge of his identity, trusting Superman came slowly for Batman. Beginning, in fact, long before the Justice League was formed. It evolved over years.

Not so was Batman's trust of her.

So, even though she didn't know the man under the cowl, there had always been some special connection between them. It developed quickly from familiarity and comfort, to trust, then into something was difficult to describe. It had been there for her almost immediately, which had been very disconcerting, given the fact he was male.

During those first few months in man's world, Wonder Woman developed a true respect for all of her colleagues, male and female. With Batman, though, it was more than just respect. There was an admiration, an attraction, and simply a peace that she felt whenever he was around. Diana didn't know what it was or why it was – just that it _was_.

It wasn't long before she began to sense that he felt this bond too. She didn't understand why that would be, any more than she understood her own pull towards him. At first it had just been a suspicion – a feeling – that it was the same with him; however, it wasn't until their trip to Gorilla City that she knew for certain that there was something – unexplained – between them.

He had been covered in dirt. She had noticed that right away. She had immediately thought how _sweet, _albeit illogical, it had been for him to even try to dig her out from under a missile. Back then, none of them really understood exactly how strong she was.

J'onn had told her about it – how he had to go down into the crevasse created by the missile and stop Bruce from continuing with a futile effort to dig her out.

Shayera had a lot more to say about it than J'onn had. She told Diana about how he had behaved when that missile landed on top of her. Rational thought had apparently left the most brilliant mind on the planet. Shay described how he had leapt into the hole, calling her name and pulling rocks and boulders away from the body of a rocket filled with alcohol-water and liquid nitrogen. He could never have pulled her out, but he tried to anyway.

As it turned out, it hadn't really been _sweet_ of him at all. Instead of 'sweet', Shayera used words like 'irrational' and 'desperate'. This from one of the most unemotional males Diana had met in the world so far.

They had never spoken of it – why he had done it remained an unanswered question.

At this point in her story, Diana paused. She'd been staring down at her empty cup while she spoke, explaining the beginning – or what she thought had been at the time – of her….association….. with Batman.

She looked up again at the blue eyes across the table from her. He hadn't said a word the entire time. He didn't now, either. He simply looked at her with warm, kind eyes and picked up the teapot to pour her another cup. She smiled sadly at him.

"I will miss you when I go," she sighed and continued with her story. "Then he did it again. When my Amazon sister decided to annihilate the entire male population on the planet, he pushed me out of the way of that damn bus and nearly got himself killed. At the time, it just made me angry. I watched him struggle needlessly to save the driver when I could have stopped the bus with one hand." She smiled again, with a little less sadness this time. "He was magnificent to watch though. By the time he collapsed in my arms from the effects of the virus, I was no longer angry. I was terrified."

"Looking back, there were so many things that should have caused me to realize the reason for our connection. The fact that Batman's parent's had been killed in Vandal Savage's altered reality, was just one example. He was so hopeful that we could go back in time to save his parents. When Superman told him that he couldn't promise we could – I immediately knew that Batman's parents must have been killed in our reality too. Still, I didn't make the connection. It took so much effort to dive into the portal and leave him behind."

"But you still didn't know why?"

"No." She shook her head, raven tresses swinging around the melancholic expression on her beautiful face. He was being so patient, she thought, as she looked at the man across the table from her. He was allowing her to explain things in her own way, at her own pace, without interruption. It was finally time for her to confess exactly what had happened all those years ago.

"Then Paris happened," she said.

Bruce had rescued her from the crowd and had asked her to dance. At first she thought that the feeling of recognition was simply the realization that the man she was dancing with in Paris was Batman. Especially when he appeared in her hotel room later. The next morning she knew the man she had danced with was the same one that sat before her. She even felt a little…smug, having figured it out. After they took down Vandal Savage, she tried to nonchalantly tease him into a confession by insisting that he owed her a dance – but of course, he had 'no idea what she was talking about'.

Even then she still didn't know was who it _really_ was that she had danced with in Paris. Looking back, she realized that it was his eyes that brought her that feeling of recognition – of familiarity, in the Paris ballroom. She knew those eyes, although she did not yet realize that she did. She had learned since then that when he became 'Bruce Wayne, playboy billionaire', there was a different look about them. His eyes were darker, less…genuine. Although you couldn't see his eyes with the cowl, you knew when Batman was looking at you. You could feel it - feel the heat. At least she could. Perhaps if he'd looked at her in Paris like he had in that restaurant during the Thanagarian invasion, she might have caught on more quickly. She didn't though – not until her own dreams forced her to make the connection.

She had stayed behind with Audrey to help rebuild Kasnia. She dreamed of Bruce, Batman, or both nearly every night. One night her dream was different. She was a child in this dream. _He_ was a child in this dream. In her dream, his eyes gave it all away. It had been a long time since she thought about that time in her childhood. Now she remembered it all quite clearly

Diana noted the look of confusion on her companion's face and took a deep breath, preparing herself to tell him the story. "This is the hard part, Alfred."

He reached across the table and clasped one of her hands. "Why is that my dear?"

She looked away. "Because I deceived you, deceived him. I do not feel guilt for having done so as it was my duty and I had given my word. I do however feel regret that I had to keep it hidden. It had been so long since I thought about that time in my childhood. I did my duty and went back to training. I wasn't expecting to encounter him again."

"Why don't you just explain to me what did happen?"

So she did. She told Alfred all about the task given her by Themis and Morpheus, because Bruce had a great destiny before him. Diana included their belief that if Bruce were to think that the path he was on hadn't been chosen by his own free will, it might put lives at risk. To prevent this outcome, she was never to tell him the truth if they encountered each other in the future.

"It truly was his choice, Alfred."

Diana gazed intently at him as he sat in silence, processing everything that she had just confessed to him. It felt like an eternity before he spoke again.

"I do not doubt that, Miss Diana. Master Bruce is not one to do anything that is not of his own free will. If I may ask, would this have occurred when he was approximately thirteen years of age?"

She nodded apprehensively. "Yes. To me he still looked eight, but I was told it had been five years since his parents had passed."

Alfred sat back in his chair. He inhaled, then exhaled deeply. "Then that explains it," he said.

Diana's forehead wrinkled. "Explains what?"

"There was a brief time when I felt that Master Bruce was finally beginning to heal. The nightmares had stopped. He began to show an interest in things again. It was an interest in martial arts and weapons, but at least it was an interest in something. Since I had formerly been a member of the MI6, I certainly wasn't opposed to letting him develop this interest. Being a Wayne, I thought it appropriate that he train with the world's finest. I possessed the necessary connections to arrange it and so we left. During our years abroad, his days were filled with studying at local universities and training. He must have earned a different degree in every city we stopped in."

"Alfred, you said that there was a 'brief time' when you thought Bruce had begun to heal?"

He nodded slowly. "Unfortunately, as soon as we left Gotham, the nightmares began again. Master Bruce continued to be driven in his studies and training, but he was different than he had been before we left. There was still that drive – but the passion, that 'spark' was gone."

"Does he still have the nightmares now, Alfred?"

Alfred sighed. "I'm afraid so. I believe that it still happens several times a week. It's hard to know for sure. He had the master bedroom soundproofed long ago so nobody who happened to be in the house would hear the screaming. Besides his nocturnal activities, I think that one of the reasons he sleeps so little is to avoid having them."

As heartbroken as she already was, this information caused her to be more so. It was obvious to everyone that Batman was still plagued by the events of his childhood. Despite this, during the time since she had realized her true connection to Bruce, she had somehow convinced herself that no matter the outcome, she had at least provided him some comfort as a child. She believed she had helped to stop the nightly torment. Now there came the realization the relief had been only temporary.

As if Alfred had been reading her mind, "It appears that the only time he ever stopped having them was during your intervention. He is different around you. That I noticed the night you came here during the invasion. I had hoped that something more might develop between you. Now knowing that you were able to comfort him even as a child, makes me desire it all the more."

Diana couldn't help but be relieved that he wasn't angry with her for not being honest about her visits to Bruce in his childhood. "I had wanted that too, Alfred. Perhaps maybe we could have. It is now an impossibility."

She blushed slightly as she began to share even more personal thoughts and feelings with the older man. "After some time, I began to get used to the idea that I had this knowledge, these memories, that I couldn't share. With the connection that I couldn't explain was now explained and over time my feelings began to grow into something more….romantic. While we were hiding in plain sight during the invasion, I was overwhelmed just being alone with him as Bruce. These were new, unfamiliar emotions for me. I – I kissed him in that restaurant to avoid detection from the Thanagarian soldiers. It was a ruse, yes, but I had also been thinking about it since the moment he removed the cowl in the warehouse. I was encouraged by his reaction and began to think that maybe everything would be fine. He didn't remember me, so I decided that when I could, I would go to the Gods and petition them to let me tell him. Eventually, I began to become more comfortable and hoped that maybe something more could develop between us."

"But my dear, if what you tell me is true why you are now leaving?"

E/N: Thanks to everyone reading my stories - although I'd really love some feedback if you have a minute.


	4. Artifice

A/N: 'For the Man who has Everything'; 'Kids Stuff'; 'This Little Piggy'; 'Doomsday Sanction'

I tried to give a little background, but it helps if you've seen them.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

ARTIFICE

When she didn't answer, Alfred asked the question again. "Why are you leaving?"

"Because he's forsaken me."

She knew it was an odd way to say it, but it seemed to fit the situation best. Having been looking down at her cup, Diana slowly raised her head to meet his gaze when Alfred sat in silence after her response.

She explained further, "He wants nothing from me now. To others, he calls me simply a 'valued colleague' or 'trusted friend'. The others don't notice because he's Batman, but those words are either said with sarcasm or sadness. In actuality, we're barely teammates. This is why I must go. It is best for the team. He has resisted all of my attempts to make amends. I need to go before the team becomes irreparably damaged. He would never accept this, but they need him far more than myself."

Alfred's expression changed from one of concern to disbelief. "I can hardly believe what I am hearing. I was under the impression that Amazons didn't surrender."

She offered a wry smile in response. "We don't surrender. We will however sacrifice ourselves if necessary to win the war."

He shook his head as if to clear it. "Miss Diana, I must ask - he discovered the truth on his own then?"

She nodded her head.

"And knowing him as I do, your explanation was apparently unsatisfactory?"

She sighed. "As much as I could explain. He really wasn't interested in hearing any explanations. After he confronted me, things just…chilled." Always intuitive to the emotions of others, Diana could see that Alfred was becoming angry at Bruce. "Please don't be angry with him. I understand – even expected – this response from him. He's questioning many of the things he held as absolute truths in his life. Unfortunately the Fates determined that he should discover the truth about our first meeting at a time when it would cause the most damage….I don't suppose he discussed with you what happened on Clark's birthday?

Diana expected the negative response she received and continued with barely a pause. She explained how they had gone to the Fortress to find Clark under the control of the Black Mercy, sent by Mongul who was still there when they arrived. As she described that the plant caused it's host to believe they were in their own personal dream world, a perfect existence - their heart's desire - she could see Alfred was already suspecting what might have occurred. While Diana battled Mongul, Bruce had managed to somehow get Clark free of the plant. While Superman fought Mongul, beaten and injured she climbed back to Bruce, only to find him in the grips of the Black Mercy.

"I knew what he was seeing. I just knew it. As I am sure you do now. I'd been there with him in that alley so many times. My heart ached for what he would go through when he was released from the grip of the plant. It would be like the nightmares, but far worse. That feeling of happiness that he's not had in thirty years would be ripped from him. I had to get him out of that vision as quickly as possible."

At this point, Diana paused and stood, walking over to the glass kitchen doors to gaze out over the cliffs along the bay. "I screamed his name and I pulled. Hard. But Mongul is strong and he had beaten me. Badly. I needed more than what remained of my strength to get it off of Bruce. Besides, the plant wasn't something that one just….removed. The host needed to somehow begin to understand that what they were seeing wasn't real. Morpheus wasn't there to help me, but I hoped the connection we'd already established would be enough. It was enough to get me inside, briefly. We were right back there in the alley again. I watched as realization dawned for him and the image before us changed from his heart's desire into the nightmare. We looked at each other – his eyes were wide with surprise and confusion. All I was able to say was, 'Stop this, Bruce' before the Black Mercy released its hold."

She turned away from the window and walked back to where Alfred sat at the large kitchen table. "He never spoke of his vision and I didn't ask. I couldn't tell him everything anyway. It wasn't until later that he even realized that I was the girl he saw while under the Black Mercy's control."

" It was almost as if the Fates were toying with us because as you know, our very next mission actually required us to be magically transformed into eight-year-olds. It was then that he realized the girl he saw had been me."

Diana told him everything about that mission that she was sure Bruce hadn't. Of course, every adult on Earth realized something very _wrong_ had happened when they were suddenly banished to a shadow realm. They had reversed the spell so quickly that by the time Morgaine Le Fay returned them to their adult states after taking down her son, most of the world wasn't sure what exactly had happened. Life resumed with relative normality. Denial was the was the easist way for most of the world to deal with it.

Not so for Diana and Bruce. He recognized immediately that it was Diana who had released him from the Black Mercy's spell. He was so disconcerted that he spent the entire mission practically running away from her until he could understand what it all meant. Diana, on the other hand, took full advantage of the fact that she momentarily possessed an eight-year-old's lack of impulse control and she spent the mission chasing him. Bruce had apparently never lacked impulse control, even as a child.

When it was over, Bruce was clearly disturbed by the whole experience. On one of the rare occasions that Wonder Woman felt unsure of herself and what course of action to take, she simply withdrew from him immediately after the mission. This was an occasion, it seemed, that it was best to give Batman his space…that is until Circe and the stakeout in Gotham City.

She was still an Amazon. Amazon's by nature, did not back down in battle and typically took what they wanted if it was in front of them. It was difficult to fight her heritage and she wasn't inclined to do so anyway. So, she pushed Bruce a little harder.

Shortly after she arrived in Gotham for the stakeout, it was apparent that he still didn't know about her nocturnal visits in childhood. Based on his response to her question about dating, she came to the conclusion – which he later confirmed – that he believed there simply existed an unusual bond between them that had allowed her to enter his mind while he was under control of the Black Mercy. It was the most logical conclusion to draw and having come to this conclusion, he had prepared to respond to and rebuff her romantic overtures when the time came. That they would come he did not question, given her behavior as an eight-year-old in their last mission together. At the time, he firmly believed that it would not be in either of their best interests to become involved.

As it would turn out, events that occurred during his search for Circe that would eventually turn the source of their bond – his dreams – into the mechanism for its ultimate destruction. That night he had a dream that began the same as any other nightmare would have, except this time it was one from his childhood. He dreamed of her visiting him and apparently awoke with the memory of all of the dreams from his childhood that had been long forgotten. And he remembered it all.

Diana's voice was heavy with emotion as she gave Alfred an edited version of his confrontation. He didn't need the details and she wouldn't have been able to speak if she tried to give them. It was simply too painful for her.

"We had a Founder's meeting the morning after he had recovered those childhood memories. He was quiet throughout the meeting, which wasn't all that unusual. Afterward, he followed me to my room and confronted me."

"Since he discovered the truth, we've been engaged in a masquerade for the benefit of the team. Being so adept at the role of Bruce Wayne, he's much better at it than I. It is becoming too difficult for me to maintain. As you know, last night he was injured after saving Clark and I from a Kryptonite missile on its way to San Baquero.

After he had been patched up, he threw Clark and I out of the watchtower infirmary. He's never been particularly trusting of metas, that we all know. But he trusted Clark and I. Now he trusts neither of us. He mistrusts Clark because of his leadership in our banishing Doomsday to the Phantom Zone. He mistrusts me for all of this. I've seen him be fully…Batman…to others. I've never felt that hostility directed toward myself. That's when I came to the decision that I should go."

"Before you ask, yes, I am doing this for him as well as for the team. He doesn't need the constant reminder of my betrayal. He's experienced enough of that from people he's cared about. But do not think for a minute that this is entirely self-sacrifice on my part, Alfred. I'm doing what's best for me as well, given the circumstances. Officially, I'm still exiled. But I strongly suspect that I would be welcomed back if I agreed to stay on Themyscira. I feel perhaps identifying again with my Amazon heritage is what is best for me now."

"When will you go, then?" She could hear what sounded like grief in his voice.

"I don't know. Part of me keeps hoping that something will give. I'm planning to go, I'm just not planning when. When I've finally had enough I suppose, I will just leave. It's better that nobody know I'm leaving until I do. Everyone will want to know why and if they don't know I'm leaving, they won't have the chance to ask. I know it's a lot to ask, Alfred, and I'll understand if you refuse, but I think it's better if you keep my leaving from Bruce too. As I said, the Justice League needs Batman and I don't want to give him the opportunity to leave the group to prevent me from doing so."

As she spoke the last few sentences, her voice began falter as the emotions she had been holding in check the last few hours finally threatened to unleash themselves. Her Amazon identity strongly resisted such an emotional display, so she asked Alfred if she could have a moment alone to collect herself. She walked outside from the kitchen into the garden. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, breathing in the aroma of the roses that Alfred so painstakingly cared for.

That day, he had entered her room silently, without knocking. She was used to that.

She turned toward him. His cowl was off and it was all there in that icy glare. Anger, betrayal, pain. He knew. They stood in the middle of the room facing each other. She met his gaze.

"You've been lying to me since the beginning." His voice was low, but hard.

"I knew only Batman in the beginning."

"Then when?"

Her blue eyes lowered to the floor briefly before looking up and meeting his again. "Paris."

It was a split second, but he visibly flinched. "More than a year ago. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Bruce, you weren't supposed to remember. I was forbidden to tell you. I was a child, but I gave my word then. I couldn't break it now."

His tone was cold. "Manipulated by your Gods? When Zatanna summoned Themis to help us find Circe - it was her wasn't it? She called me by name – my given name. I found that odd, but not all that surprising given her status. But she seemed to know me. Too well. Then, after, when you walked away from me in the hallway, humming…it was so…familiar. Last night, I had a dream. One that I had before. When I woke up, I remembered them all." He paused, "Why did they do it?"

"They said you needed guided to correct path – the one that would lead to..." she gestured with a bounce of her head, "all of this. They said that the world needed you."

Bruce narrowed his eyes and moved his face so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath brush her lips.

"Was that all they did, Diana?"

The question sent Diana into an emotional tailspin. He meant his parents. He thought... "Oh no – no, they didn't do that –"

"I'm supposed to believe that? I have no idea what is the truth now."

He moved toward her and she instinctively backed up until she met the wall. When she stopped, he pressed his lips against hers – hard. Diana felt every imaginable emotion in that kiss. Love, hate, passion, anger, betrayal… The initial confusion quickly melted away as she responded fervently. When they needed air, he pulled back and put a gloved hand on each of her shoulders holding her away from him and against the wall.

"That, right there, was the only thing that's ever been between us that I know was real. After last evening, I had planned a very different conversation for us today. The hours I spent trying to release you from Circe's spell, I started to question all of the reasons I gave you on that roof. I had decided that maybe I was wrong."

He stepped back from her and pulled on the cowl. He turned and walked to the door, pausing just before he opened it. "The others won't know about this. As far as they are concerned, nothing has changed. Make sure it appears that way. But know for certain that we are just teammates, nothing more." He walked out as silently as he entered. Diana slid down the wall to the floor.

"_Diana." _J'onn's voice in her communicator, pulled her out of the painful memory.

"Yes, J'onn."

"_Batman left the infirmary a few minutes ago."_

"Thanks, J'onn." He was headed here. She needed to leave.

Diana flew back up to the doorway that led to the kitchen. "Alfred, I'm sorry, I need to go."

She stopped short. Bruce, arm still in a sling, stood in the kitchen.

"You're goddamn right you do," he said quietly. "Get out of my house."

She met his gaze defiantly and walked over to Alfred, quickly embracing him. "Goodbye, Alfred."

He didn't respond, just looked at her with sympathy and regret.

She turned and walked out of the door she had just entered, making her way to her jet. As she left, she overheard an exchange between the two men.

"I've never seen more appalling behavior from you."

"What was she doing here?"

"Saying goodbye."


	5. Evanescence

A/N: The rest of the story occurs between 'The Balance' and 'Clash' of JLU season 2. I've had to modify my plan to have this told exclusively from Diana's POV. Hopefully you'll get why.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

EVANESCENCE

"I take this evanescence and lubricity of all objects, which lets them slip through our fingers then when we clutch hardest, to be the most unhandsome part of our condition." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

It was long past when they should have returned to the Watchtower. Shayera hadn't mentioned it though. The Amazon's hospitality had been exceptional and besides, Diana hadn't looked like she was ready to leave yet, so she held off making the suggestion that they return to the Watchtower.

Shayera had also noticed that throughout the evening, Diana had progressively become more quiet and withdrawn. Her exile from Themyscira had just been lifted. The two of them had made amends and completed a successful mission – even though success in this case was restoring the Lord of the Underworld to his throne. Although most of them had already retired for the evening, the Amazons had just held a banquet in their honor. She would have expected Wonder Woman to be in better spirits.

She definitely didn't consider herself the 'emotional' type and even if she did, Shayera didn't think that pushing a clearly troubled Amazon to confess her feelings would be an appropriate move. Besides, they had just mended fences and she didn't want to push things with Diana. She figured that if Diana wanted to talk about what was bothering her, she would.

Shayera didn't have long to wait for an explanation. S_ort of_ an explanation, at least.

Diana had been gazing out across the ocean, which was clearly visible from the veranda of the Queen's palace. Suddenly she turned toward her companion. "Shayera? I need to apologize to you." Blue eyes met green ones. She hadn't noticed before how sad Diana's eyes had looked.

Shayera shot her a surprised expression. "You need to apologize to me?"

"Yes. I was far too hard on you after the invasion. You had been duty-bound to hide your true purpose on Earth. You didn't know what your compatriots had planned and when you did find out you risked everything to help us."

Shayera's puzzled expression only intensified as Diana explained.

Diana continued, "I think I was so hard on you because I have also been duty bound to keep something from the others."

Shayera's confused expression changed to one of skepticism as one eyebrow arched. "Really, Diana? Has performing this duty nearly resulted in world-wide destruction?"

A faint smile crossed Diana's lips. "No, my secret was kept to protect the planet."

"So, then, no apologies. Diana, we really should have checked back in at the Watchtower by now."

Diana turned back toward the ocean. She slowly inhaled, then exhaled softly before she responded. "Shayera, I'm not going back."

"Excuse me?"

Diana looked back at her with a determined look in her eyes. "I'm not going back."

Shayera frowned. "What did he do and what can I do to him that will make you change your mind?"

Diana chuckled softly, but there was no mirth in it. "He did nothing."

"Don't give me that, Diana. On Thanagar, I was the equivalent of a detective on this planet. A good one. As good as he is – or at least almost. When I came back, I noticed that something had changed. You both have been putting on an act for the rest of us, but you aren't as good at it as he is. Supes, Wally, and John may have bought it. J'onn and I did not. Spill it."

She shook her head. "I really can't. But don't blame him. None of it was his fault."

Shayera clearly didn't believe it, but didn't argue the point. "I'm going to guess it wasn't yours either though, was it?"

"No, it wasn't. But the circumstances are what they are and I have no desire to maintain the charade anymore. This is what is best for the team. Now that my exile has been lifted, perhaps what is best for me is to get reacquainted with my Amazon heritage. My pride has taken a beating lately. I want to feel like myself again."

"Ok. Then when will you be coming back?" Shayera asked.

Diana looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry Shayera. I've no plans to return. Officially, I will be resigning from the League."

"What!" Shayera yelled angrily. "That can't be the best option. If one of you needs to go, then let it be him!"

Diana sighed. She was through explaining herself. "No Shay," she said firmly. "As I said, this is what is best for the League, but truly, it is also what is best for me right now. My exile being lifted certainly allows me a little more flexibility to return someday, but like I said, I have no plans right now to do so."

"What do you expect me to tell them?"

"Would you come back to my chambers for a few minutes? I want to write two letters to take back with you. They will contain all of the explanation that it necessary."

Shayera paced in the sitting room outside of the Diana's bedchambers, waiting for the letters she was to deliver. After about twenty minutes, Diana emerged, handing her two yellowish envelopes. Only one had a marking on the outside – the letter _B._

"The first letter is to provide the League of my resignation and an appropriate explanation for it. The second…give to him after the meeting. Please."

The two stood and regarded each other for a moment.

"Are you sure about this, Diana?"

She nodded. "I've given it much thought. It's not what I want, but right now it is what's best for me under the circumstances. I welcome the opportunity to reconnect with my mother and be surrounded by the comforting presence of my sisters." Diana paused a moment, a look of uncertainly flitting across her face. "Shayera…..I feel the sudden urge to hug you."

Shayera indulged her. "I'm going to miss you too, Princess."

* * *

Shayera flew far enough west on her own power to be out of the reach of the mystical cloaking spell that hid Themyscira from the outside world. When she called for transport, the sun was rising over the Atlantic.

Wally had been on duty and answered her call.

"Transport for one to the Watchtower."

"Hi Shay. Transport for one? What about Di?"

"She's not with me. I'll explain at the meeting. Just transport me already. I haven't slept all night and won't even have time for a shower before the Founder's meeting."

"Ok. I'll get you coffee. Transporting in twenty seconds…."

Shayera stepped off the transporter pad and Flash handed her a cup of coffee. She smiled gratefully as she took several big swallows.

They walked together to the conference room dedicated exclusively for Founder's meetings.

"So Shay…really, where is she?"

Shayera's weary expression clouded over. "At the meeting, Wally. I don't want to have to do this more than once."

The two entered the conference room. The four other members were already seated around the table.

Superman spoke first.

"Shayera, have you just returned from Themyscira? We realized that you and Diana must have been successful as the mystical members of our team have fully recovered. We were concerned when we hadn't received word from you. Why isn't Diana with you?"

Shayera responded by sliding the plain envelope across the table. Superman frowned as he opened it. Flash, J'onn, and Green Lantern were focused on Superman as he prepared to read Diana's letter. She assumed Batman was focused on Superman as well, but it was impossible to tell. Shayera herself, sat turned towards Batman, her expression fixed with a cold stare. Her gaze remained directed at him while Superman read the letter.

_Friends,_

_I regret to inform you that I am resigning from the Justice League effective immediately. Thank you for the opportunities for professional and personal growth you have given me over the last three years. As I hope you know, I consider you dear friends and will miss you all very much. However, the time has come for me to return to my home._

_With warmest regards,_

_Diana_

The group sat in shocked silence for several moments. Shayera noted how Batman's jaw clenched; she could see the muscles visibly tense. All five men turned toward Shayera. J'onn spoke first.

"Shayera, did Diana provide you with any additional explanation?"

She continued to stare down Batman as she answered. He appeared to be staring right back at her. "Not much. She said that this is what was best for the team. She did not elaborate." It was abundantly clear to everyone that from the hostile glare currently directed at Batman, that Shayera placed the blame on him.

There were a few more seconds of silence before Superman quietly asked, "Bruce?"

Batman stood up and silently left the room.

Shayera was close on his heels and cut him off before he reached the transporter room.

She held out the envelope with the letter 'B' written on the front. Still openly hostile, she said to him, "I hope it was worth it." He took the envelope and gripped it tightly before he turned, walked to the transporter, and entered a code. Seconds later he was gone.

* * *

_Bruce,_

_I wanted you to know that your friendship has been very important to me. You have taught me a great many things, not the least of which is that there are men in this world that are very much deserving of my respect, trust, admiration, and most of all, love. _

_Please believe that every choice you've made in the past has been yours alone. Even if you don't believe this to be true, believe that you are important to the League and to the safety of the world. Please don't decide to withdraw from both. They need you, and as much as you wish it not to be true, you need them. _

_Always,_

_Diana_

Usually Batman's 'impulsive' acts of rage are anything but. They are typically well orchestrated to place the maximum possible amount of stress and fear on a particular individual. Not so today.

Having ripped the cowl off as he walked from the transporter pad in the cave to the computer station, he stood calmly reading her letter in the quiet solitude of the cave. When he finished it, he carefully placed the letter on the desk, then picked up the large computer chair and hurled it at the wall. It crashed loudly into the moist stone surface and broke apart into several pieces. A wheel rolled back past his feet.

"So, she's gone then?"

_Alfred._

"You knew she was leaving." The statement was accusatory. Bruce's blue eyes burned with a difficult to describe emotion. It was something like a combination of shock, anger, and despair.

"I told you that she came to say goodbye."

Bruce's shoulders slumped as the anger and shock withdrew from his eyes. "I just thought that…."

"You thought what? That she was only saying goodbye to me since she was no longer welcome in your home? I would not possess such poor judgment as to turn down that lovely woman if she desired to see me, regardless of whatever edict you might have handed down. I knew she intended to leave, I did not know when. She did not know when. She wished that I not tell you her intentions."

Bruce turned to the desk and looked down at the letter, placing his hand across it, palm held flat against the surface. "She told you everything?"

"I suspect not. She told me not to blame you - that your reaction was understandable and expected. She told me nothing of when you confronted her. I prefer not to contemplate how you must have treated her. Do you realize that when she… visited…was the only time since that night that you seemed to have found a little peace? It has been a little better the past few years, but I believe that peace has been elusive, so tempered by your efforts to resist your feelings toward her as an adult. Now, the real question is do you intend to do anything to fix this?"

"Excuse me, Alfred. If Bruce Wayne had any appointments today, please cancel them."

Alfred watched Bruce walk towards the back of the cave and enter the training room. The sound of the door shutting was followed by the whirring sound of the security locks engaging.

Knowing that he would be in seclusion for hours, Alfred walked to the desk and picked up the letter. After a moment, he set it back down and sighed. Sadly, he knew the situation hadn't yet reached a point where Bruce would take any action. Even if he were to get past the fact that these events in his youth had be deliberate kept from him, the reality was that Bruce was unlikely to ever believe that _he_ would be good for her or simply good _enough_ for her.

* * *

It had been two weeks since she'd left. Things were bad from a morale standpoint. From any standpoint, actually.

Superman wasn't the most even-tempered member of the team. He wasn't as affable as Wally or as stoic as J'onn, but he typically was able to maintain a calm, objective exterior – at least when dealing with the League membership. Right now, he was having a hard time maintaining his even temperament. Everyone was having a hard time.

Shayera was still angry – not a big surprise. John was angry – not more angry than Shayera, but still not such a surprise. Wally was also angry. _That_ _was_ unusual. J'onn was simply depressed. All those emotions were triggered by Diana's departure and all the hostility directed at Bruce. Bruce, ironically, maintained his typically emotionless exterior that was interrupted periodically by angry glares. In other words, he was, outwardly at least, status quo.

Clark was actually surprised that Bruce was still around. Every day he expected Batman's letter of resignation. However, he continued to perform his duties without any apparent reaction to what sometimes bordered on verbal abuse from the remaining founders. What Clark didn't realize, was that Bruce remained for only one reason. It was Diana's last request of him.

The tension, the hostility – needed to be addressed. Things were bad. Superman had had enough. So, right now, that calm exterior was about to crack. He called a meeting.

He was late and his timing had been deliberate - he wanted everyone seated and waiting for him. When he got to the Founder's room, he entered and stood inside the door for a moment to observe the scene before him. Today, instead of arguing, there was complete silence. Complete. The tension that hung in the air was palpable. Their team was falling apart.

Superman did not take a seat at the table. He stood in front of the group, arms folded across his chest.

"This cannot continue. We are very lucky that crises have been low level alerts, because if they were higher, I wouldn't send any of you out. We need to deal with this. Now."

J'onn and Batman sat in stoic silence as Superman spoke. Shayera, Green Lantern, and Flash immediately started to argue.

He shut them down with one glare and one word. "Enough."

"Go get her. Bring her back."

They all turned their heads towards Wally.

"Wally…." Superman sighed.

"Wait. I'm serious. Why not try? Things SUCK with her gone. Maybe if she knows that, she'll come back."

"You want to guilt-trip her into returning?" asked John.

"No, but if it gets her back here, I can live with that. You know she didn't want to leave in the first place."

Four sets of eyes turned towards Batman. Superman closed his and shook his head. After a moment they opened and looked toward Shayera.

"Shay, are you up for a trip back?"

Her eyes didn't leave Batman's face. "She'll want to know if _everyone_ wants her to come back."

"Fine," Superman replied. His head turned, "Bruce?"

He spoke for the first time. "Of course I want her to come back. The League needs Wonder Woman."

* * *

"Diana, you've been troubled since your return. When will you share with me what distresses you?"

Diana and her mother had stopped their horses along the sand covered beach. She looked over at her mother, into the blue eyes that were mirror reflections of her own.

She wanted to tell her everything. She hadn't. Being in love with someone who found your presence distasteful was a difficult thing to discuss with the Queen of the Amazons. She looked away from her mother, out toward the ocean.

"Diana, my own … unfortunate experiences with men are widely known and much lamented."

Diana did not respond. She wasn't ready to discuss this with her mother, the Queen. The Queen tried a slightly different tactic.

"Diana, has no one on the island that you've become reacquainted with given you moments of enjoyment?"

Diana smiled. "Of course, but I cannot expect the most tempestuous and jovial of my sisters to spend their time engaged only in my personal entertainment. She has her studies and training too…." Diana's voice trailed off as she heard a sound in the distance. Despite herself, her heartbeat began to speed up a bit. It was the familiar sound of a Javelin. The aircraft quickly came into view and descended to land further inland. She gently urged her horse into a run.

She jumped from her horse beside the landed aircraft. The door opened. Diana's face fell as Shayera walked down the ramp from the plane. It was all too clear to Shayera that Diana had been hoping for someone else.

As soon as the awareness that their visitor was not Bruce had faded, she became concerned and quickly began questioning Shayera.

"Shayera, I'm pleased to see you, but why have you come here? Has something happened? Is everyone okay?

Shayera held up her hand. "Slow down. Nothing serious has happened. Everyone is fine – physically at least. The inner circle is in bad shape – we're falling apart. I was sent to ask you to come back with me. We need you."

Diana looked at Shayera hopefully. "Everyone wishes me to return?"

Shayera nodded, "Yes."

Watching Shayera intently, Diana asked her next question, "Does he?"

Shayera nodded again, "He does."

"What exactly did he say? Don't make me get the lasso, Shay."

Shayera cursed inwardly at Batman.

"He said, the League needs Wonder Woman."

Diana's hopefulness completely dissipated. "If the League needs Wonder Woman, then they'll get Wonder Woman."

E/N: Review please!


	6. Haunted

A/N: I apologize in advance for some of the activity herein and Bruce's attempts to forget Diana by engaging in some very stereotypically _male_ behavior. It's a little cliché as well and maybe a little bit OOC, so again, apologies. As for the OOC, imagine the possible reactions to discovering the person you were in love with had been lying to you for years and then just up and left town.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

HAUNTED

He knew that Shayera had returned to the Watchtower. From the cave, he had been tracking the GPS on both the Javelin and her communicator since she had left two days ago

In spite of himself – and quite out of character – two days ago he began to experience a new emotion. Hope. He wanted to see her. If she came back, it would mean….well he didn't know what it would mean. But he _needed_ to see her.

After waiting an hour with no communication, he called up to the Watchtower. Flash had the misfortune of being the only founder in the communications room when he made his call up to the tower.

"Flash." It wasn't a question, but rather a command - a demand for undivided attention.

A pause. "Ummm, yes?"

"Shayera's back."

"Well, yes."

"Did she return alone?"

"No, but Bats – "

"Batman out."

Flash stared at the camera on the observation deck now focused on two women standing together looking out the window – one petite redhead and one tall raven-haired beauty. "Crap," he uttered. Several junior Leaguers turned to look at him sympathetically. He shook his head, then punched the secure codes into the computer that would disconnect the video feed. He didn't need to see this. Nobody did.

Batman materialized in the transporter room several minutes later, still tracking Shayera's location in the Watchtower on his PDA. As he stalked down the hallway, heroes jumped to the side to let him pass. He was headed toward the observation deck.

Shayera was coming out the door as he approached it.

His stoic expression met her still-angry one.

"Is she in there?" he asked.

Cocking her head to the side, her expression changed to something that could best be described as a sadistic grin. "She is," she said as she stepped aside. As he passed by, she followed him back into the room and waited for the scene to unfold.

She was wearing the familiar red, blue, and gold uniform. Her long, dark hair spilled over her shoulders. Wonder Woman stood at the window, with her back to the door. Her arms were crossed in front of her as she stared out at the view of the Earth below.

Batman walked over to her and gently touched her elbow. She turned to look at him. Blue eyes that were Diana's…but not Diana's, stared at him. Actually, glared at him.

He stood silently looking at her, for what Shayera could swear was a full minute.

"You're not Diana."

"No, I'm not."

He looked at her for a few more seconds before he turned and walked toward the door. As he reached the exit where Shayera was still standing, a voice came from behind him. Similar, but still different from _hers._

"Hera I hope you give me a reason to kick your ass."

It only lasted a split second before the mask of the Bat wiped it away, but even with the cowl Shayera could have sworn she saw him flinch. Maybe she was wrong, but she was trained to closely observe behavior – and she was extremely good at it. At that moment though, she wished she wasn't. Suddenly, she wasn't angry anymore. She turned and followed him out.

He went directly back to the transporter room. He punched in the coordinates to the cave, setting them to erase as soon as he dematerialized. This was standard practice for both the cave and Superman's Fortress, as only a select few League members had access to either place.

The second he finished entering the numbers, Shayera landed on the platform, assuring that she would transport down to the cave with him.

The second their molecules reassembled in the cave, Batman turned to her. "Get out."

"No."

He glared at her. Fiercely.

She crossed her arms in front of her, her eyes meeting his. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but that has _never_ worked on me. Two of my closest….friends…. are miserable and damn it, I want to know why."

He turned his back on her and walked down the steps towards the supercomputer and sat in his (new) chair.

"_Bruce, what the fuck is going on?"_ She followed him to the computer bank and stepped between it and him, forcing him to push his chair back away from her. "The two of you are determined to destroy this team and the rest of us deserve to know why."

He abruptly froze. After a moment, he pushed back his cowl. The last few weeks had taken its toll on his handsome face. His eyes were bloodshot, like he hadn't slept in days and didn't bother to try and hide it.

"My God, Bruce. When's the last time you slept?"

Not surprisingly, he ignored her question. "She didn't tell you?"

"No, she didn't." Shayera sat on his desk and looked at him with concern. When he registered her concern, he looked away. "She told me that it was between the two of you. She told me that you didn't want the League to know."

"That's it?"

"No. She also said that it wasn't your fault, it was hers. She said your reaction was understandable and that we shouldn't blame you for her leaving."

"She said the same thing to Alfred."

"When I went back to get her, she asked what you had said – word for word – about wanting her to come back. If she hadn't threatened to use the lasso, I would have said whatever was necessary to get her back here. 'The League needs Wonder Woman' just wasn't enough."

"So, she sent…her sister?"

"Yeah, Donna. I didn't know she had a sister. At least a real one…or close to a real one."

"I knew."

"Of course you did. And it never occurred to you that she might send her sister back instead?"

"No."

"She loves you, you know?"

"I know."

"And you love her, you know?"

"I know that too."

"But you aren't going after her are you?"

"No."

"You men really are jackasses sometimes."

*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

He was trying very hard to forget about her. She haunted him. Every minute of every day. Even if he would ever be good enough for her though, there was just too much to overcome now.

To forget her, he needed to become less himself – less 'Bruce' – the person that loved and missed her desperately. That meant, to everyone's misfortune, that he needed to embrace the hard, cold, logical Bat or the shallow, womanizing, playboy Bruce Wayne. Depending on the time of day, he did both. Both were needed, since every time he went to sleep, he became 'just Bruce' and dreamed of her. So, he became Bruce Wayne twelve hours a day and Batman the other twelve. He took on both roles with reckless abandon.

Bruce Wayne was certainly on the prowl. He was attending far more charity and society events than usual. As was customary for Bruce Wayne, he had a different beautiful woman on his arm at each one. What was unusual was the pretext of seduction that was nearly always an act, became less of one as he tried to put Diana out of his mind.

Each night he tried to access something inside that would trigger the desire to lose himself in one of these women. Each night he tried, but by the time room keys were slipped to him or he found himself alone with a woman in the back of a limo – his well practiced response kicked in and he dropped back to the old list of excuses he used to escape. Too much alcohol – he wasn't feeling well. Too much alcohol – he was unable to perform. Ironically, he still didn't consume a drop although he was quite adept at acting intoxicated. A less common excuse – a Wayne Industries crisis to attend to. This was always less believable though.

At one particular function, Bruce found himself drawn to the beautiful woman he was with. He tried not to think about it, but it would be obvious to anyone why he was.

She was dressed in red, her long, dark, blue-black hair hung well below her shoulders. She was tall – but not as tall. She was beautiful – but not as beautiful. But then, nobody was as beautiful as Diana. For awhile though, he let himself get lost in the fantasy that it was her.

The charity function took place at the Gotham Hotel. Coincidentally, she was staying at the hotel. At the end of the evening, he walked her to her room. When they arrived at the door, she turned and looked at him expectantly. She reached up and slid one hand behind the back of his head and pulled him toward her. He closed his eyes and let her. After a few seconds he gave in and began to respond.

She pulled him into the dark room. He spun her around and pushed her back against the door. He continued to kiss her as he reached a hand under each of her thighs and lifted her up, wrapping them around his waist.

He got lost. For a few seconds he forgot who he was and who he was with until suddenly the lights flipped on. He felt himself being pushed away from the warm body in front of him. The woman – whom he had almost used in an attempt to forget how miserable he was – stared at him in disbelief.

She reached out one hand and with her index finger brushed the wetness from one cheek. Her look of disbelief changed to one of sympathy.

"Why don't you tell her?" she asked.

"Tell her?" he responded, not meeting the blue eyes that weren't _her blue eyes._

"Diana."

His head jerked up and he stared at her. She really didn't look like her at all, he thought.

"You just said her name."

He closed his eyes. "Excuse me, I shouldn't be here."

She stepped aside and let him pass. As he entered the elevator to the parking garage, he thought '_What's happening to me?_ '

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

With Bruce Wayne lacking the necessary control, he became Batman nearly full-time. Except that the League began to back off calling him in on missions unless entirely necessary. It started off by being selective about what missions he was assigned to. The Founders soon realized that being on a mission with the new Wonder Woman was a disaster in the making.

They had expected hostility between the two and got it. At least partially. Donna had been extremely professional at first - at least after it was explained that she would unlikely be able to kick Batman's ass without extensive use of her powers and that was expressly forbidden. Her professional behavior quickly went by the wayside after her first mission with him, however.

It wasn't an unusually dangerous mission. Several of Gotham's criminal underworld had the good sense to go on the road since Batman seemed to be putting everyone in the hospital for extended stays before being transferred to Blackgate Prison or Arkham Asylum. What wasn't good sense though, was relocating to Metropolis, and risk the wrath of Superman. Not to mention the fact that it was quite likely that Batman would show as well, given that the city was just across the bay from Gotham.

So, since Harvey Dent was currently secured in Arkham, four of Two-Face's thugs decided to make a few bucks in Metropolis. Superman had brought along Wonder Woman for training purposes. The henchman were attempting to knock over a bank and had taken three tellers hostage.

Having been alerted by Oracle, Batman arrived on the scene just as the four men attempted to make a break for it. A spray of automatic gunfire erupted in Wonder Woman's direction. Batman, acting on instinct, jumped at her, knocking her behind a garbage dumpster and out of the line of fire. Unfortunately, this resulted in his taking two bullets in the shoulder.

He had landed on top of her, so she pushed him off and sent him flying twenty feet.

"Easy Donna," said Superman. He had already knocked the four offenders unconscious and disabled their guns by the time she got to her feet.

"What the Tartarus was that?" she asked him, pointing at the masked vigilante lying on the ground face down. She was pissed off.

"I don't know. Wait – he's bleeding."

They walked over and rolled him onto his back. He was awake and glaring at them both.

"Batman? You know that was unnecessary. She has all of Diana's weapons."

Just before he passed out from blood loss he said, "Diana would want me to keep her safe."

After that, the League made sure that Batman and Wonder Woman were not assigned to the same missions.

A few days after having the bullets removed from his shoulder, Batman went back to hospitalizing the few unlucky individuals he discovered still committing crimes on the streets of Gotham City.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

A week ago, Alfred drugged his coffee. Bruce was out cold for 36 hours and was fit to be tied when he finally woke up. He hadn't slept since.

If it were possible, he had become even more withdrawn. He was patrolling alone and taking unnecessary risks. He was exhausted and the nightly abuse to his body was taking its toll. They were all worried.

He'd gone through loss before. This was worse. To those that knew him best, it was more than Diana having left. That loss was compounded by the fact that he now questioned whether he'd have this mission if it weren't for the manipulation of her Gods - either by using Diana to push him towards it or – worse.

If those two things weren't bad enough, Bruce was finally beginning to see that there was a significance to his connection to Diana. With her gone, he felt like a piece of himself was too. It wasn't something he could have realized until she did leave. A void had been filled the moment she had come to 'Man's World'. Now there was practically an empty shell. He didn't understand it and he didn't like it. When she had been here, it had made him more dependent on her and that was unacceptable. So now he pulled away from everyone else that much more.

Batman was preparing to go out on patrol when the call came in from Oracle. The Batsignal was up. Bane broke out of Arkham. By the time he got to the Batmobile, Robin was already sitting in the passenger seat.

"Get out."

"Fuck that, Bruce. I'm going too. You are exhausted and beaten up. In case you've forgotten getting your back broken - Bane is tough on a _good_ day. Tonight you'll just get yourself killed. If you don't want me to help, that's just too damn bad."

"Fine." Batman slammed the car in gear and tore off out of the cave.

Alfred, who had witnessed the exchanged from the video-cam feed from the car's interior, picked up the phone.

"Could you come to Gotham? I'm afraid he might actually get himself killed tonight."

Reports at GCPD headquarters were that immediately after his escape, Bane had grabbed a male and female college student off of the street. Ten minutes later the male was dropped in front of GCPD Headquarters with a detailed message about what specific things he would do to the girlfriend if Batman didn't get to the docks – quickly.

Twenty minutes later after leaving the cave, the Batmobile was rolling silently between storage containers on the Gotham docks. That an ambush was planned was not in question. The only question Batman had was whether Bane had another purpose tonight or if he simply wanted to kill him.

The Batmobile pulled into an open area between some of the industrial sized containers used on cargo ships. Batman hit the break as Bane emerged from the end of one container dragging the girl behind him by her hair. Batman and Robin cautiously exited the car, staying close to afford them whatever protection it could.

Bane tossed the girl toward them by her hair, causing her to roll several times to land at Robin's feet. He bent down to check for a pulse.

"She's alive."

"Of course she is," said Bane. "But she needs medical attention. Soon. The boys were kind of rough on her." He chuckled as his thugs emerged from around the containers. There were four of them. "The boy wonder there can take her in the car for medical attention."

Batman nodded and looked sideways at Robin. "Go, get her some help."

"No way, I'm not leaving you here alone with this psychopath. This was planned – you know it was."

Bane shook his head in mock disappointment. "You're wasting time boy. She most likely got some significant internal bleeding. The boys had a good hour alone with her before you arrived." More chuckled came from behind him

The girl was beginning to gain consciousness and began to cry quietly as she lie on the pavement.

Batman had enough. "Get her out of here, now."

"They could shoot you as soon as I leave."

"They could shoot us all right now if they wanted. They haven't. He wants to beat me with his bare hands. Now go."

Another voice came over the communicator. "Little brother, take her. I'm above you. I've got this."

If Batman had heard Nightwing's transmission, he didn't let on.

Robin picked up the beaten and bloodied girl and loaded her into the Batmobile. He quickly jumped behind the wheel and took off the way they had come in.

"B," came the voice from above. "The Batboat is sitting at the end of the dock. The Batwing's ETA is three minutes – it's been commanded to cloak and hover above the scene. Two points of escape if you need them. Do you want me in there with you?"

Batman gave a slight shake of the head to indicate negative.

With a roar, Bane came at Batman, full force. Ten minutes later, Batman was embroiled in a no-holds barred brawl with Bane. Batman got in one good hit between every two of Bane's Venom - enhanced blows. It was clear to both men that if it continued to the end, Batman would be badly beaten if not completely broken by Bane. Again.

Unfortunately, nobody had been convinced lately that Bruce would work that hard to save himself. Nightwing was ready to make a move to get him out of there.

He put in the call, "Alfred?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Did you reach our backup?"

"Yes sir, he's on his way."

Nightwing looked back down at the scene. Bruce could barely stand. All of a sudden a dozen more henchman appeared. He were badly outnumbered, so jumping in at this point would likely get them both killed. He would if he needed to, but he hoped Bruce would choose the alternative and get out of there..

"B, the Batwing is hovering overhead. Shoot your grapple up and get out of there. I'll take the Batboat back to the cave."

"Acknowledged."

Nightwing sighed with relief. As he ran toward the boat, he looked back just as he jumped in to see Batman shoot off his grapple toward the plane. The claw latched on, but as soon as Batman began to lift off the ground, Bane picked up a huge, solid, steel beam and swung until it connected with Bruce's head. Hard.

As he jumped into the boat, Nightwing again turned just in time to watch in horror as Bruce went limp from the impact of the steel beam to his head. The plane began to pull away and Batman could be seen dangling below the plane, hanging limply from the zip line. Fortunately, Bruce had the good sense to engage the safety line on the grapple to his utility belt, otherwise he would have dropped thirty or more feet to the concrete below when he lost consciousness.

Nightwing looked back to the docks. One of Bane's henchmen had pulled out a grenade launcher. He shot the grenade into the opening of the Batwing where Batman's grapple held on. The Batwing had just taken off on automatic pilot to return to the cave when the grenade exploded. The plane didn't blow up or go down, but it began to fly slowly out to sea, smoke billowing behind it.

"Oracle!" Nightwing screamed into his communicator, "Run diagnostics on the Batwing!"

"Remote guidance system failure. Autopilot system failure. Various other electrical systems in imminent failure. Is he on board? It will need piloted manually."

"Not exactly. He's hanging unconscious from the bottom of the plane attached with the zip line. I have no way of getting to him. Right now he's flying in the general direction of the Atlantic Ocean. Remember that call we made? Now would be a good time! I'm following him in the boat."

"Copy!"

Dick waited, following the plane and helplessly watching his mentor and father figure hanging lifelessly above him. The radar on the boat picked up something moving at fast speed, from the general direction of Metropolis. He breathed a sigh of relief.

The blue and red blur slowed at it approached. Bracing Batman with one arm, he gently disconnected the grapple line from the utility belt so not to pull down on the airplane at the other end. Superman lowered to the boat, lying Bruce on the floor. He was bleeding profusely from the head.

"Take him to the cave," Superman orders. "I'll get the plane."

A few minutes later, Nightwing, Alfred, and Superman were collected around Batman in the infirmary area of the cave. The beep… beep… beep… of the heart monitor could be heard. Bruce was unconscious, but alive.

Robin barreled into the cave in the Batmobile, barely stopping the car before he jumped out and ran to where his mentor lied unconscious on the table.

"He's-" begins Dick.

"I know," Tim cut him off. "Barbara already filled me in."

Dick nodded. "How's the girl?"

"Traumatized, but physically okay. He's in pretty bad shape, then?"

Superman sighed and took control. "I'll take him to the Watchtower infirmary. I've already alerted J'onn that he's on his way. As soon as he's settled, I will come back to go after Bane and his thugs."

This elicited a small grin from Tim. "Can you make it hurt a little?"

"No problem there. I can see serious head trauma, but the extent of the damage will be hard to determine until we get him to the Watchtower. He should have someone with him. The Founders will be around a lot, but they won't be able to stay with him the whole time. Normally, it is impossible to pull Diana away from the room when he's in sick bay, but since she isn't here…. Dick, you can come up with him. I'm sorry, Alfred. Not everyone in the League knows Batman's identity. If you went it would be pretty easy to figure out. You are almost as famous as Bruce Wayne."

"I understand, sir. Just please take care of him and let me know what I can do."


	7. Repose

A/N: A very special thank you to DaisyJane for my very first beta and allowing me to borrow Donna's origin story from 'Immortal Sisters'.

Minor spoiler for JL – 'Fury'

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

REPOSE

Several hours later, Superman returned to the infirmary at the Watchtower with the current Wonder Woman in tow. Since she had left the island, she had become his second shadow when he wasn't living life as Clark Kent. The rest of the time she spent with Shayera. She had been trained well by the Amazons, but she was young and inexperienced in the threats of Man's World. Diana had requested that Superman and Shayera personally oversee her ongoing training and her acclimation to life outside of Themyscira.

Superman entered his security override code into the private room that now was occupied by Batman. He took a quick survey of the scene inside. Bruce was now sans cape, cowl, and uniform. He was unconscious, his head stitched and bandaged. A mass of electronic equipment was hooked up to him, measuring brain activity, heart rhythm, pulse oximetry, and respiration. The steady beep…beep…beep… tracked his heart rate and rhythm as normal.

Nightwing looked up as Superman and Wonder Woman entered. While Superman inspected the room, Dick and Donna regarded each other cautiously. Dick knew the beautiful young woman was Diana's sister, but he was a bit taken aback by the fact that she was allowed in the secure area where normally only members of the League who knew Batman's identity would be permitted. He assumed that she must know it then and wasn't sure how he felt about it. At this point he would have to trust her to be as discrete as Diana.

After a moment, Superman finally noticed the silent tension and made with a brief introduction.

"Nightwing, this is Diana's sister, Donna – currently serving the League as 'Wonder Woman'."

Donna blushed slightly. The introduction definitely communicated Donna's presence as 'temporary', but she didn't mind. She knew that everyone aboard the satellite missed her sister, even the man currently lying unconscious in front of her.

The tall, dark, amazing-looking vigilante held out his hand. As she shook it, her blush deepened. Although neither of them spoke, she gave him a sympathetic smile, which he hesitantly returned. 'It's a pleasure to meet you' seemed inappropriate under the circumstances. Normally, Donna adapted to most situations easily and she was, by nature, a people person, but in this case she would not have had an easy time making conversation. Even though she had spent most of her life on an island of women, she had spent some time on Olympus and had been in the presence of the gods, both _male_ and female. Even so, being introduced to male members of the League had been a little uncomfortable, as they were quite different in attitude than the male gods she knew, but just at first. Her natural enthusiasm toward life soon put her at ease in this new environment and with the men she had met, especially Superman and Flash. However, for some reason, being introduced to Nightwing was different. She felt more nervous and a bit excited rather than uncomfortable in meeting this man. It was a new feeling and it was disconcerting to the young woman.

She quickly refocused her attention as J'onn entered the room to brief them on Batman's condition. The Martian was silent for several moments as he went to the computer and reviewed several test results.

"Brain activity appears to be normal. Remarkably, despite the severity of the blow to his head, none of the test results indicate structural damage to his brain beyond a possible mild concussion. Although he's yet to awaken, he's responsive to external sensory stimuli." J'onn paused to check the readings on another of the machines. "I would anticipate he will awaken in the next few hours."

Nightwing nodded in relief. "Thanks J'onn. I'll need to leave soon to tell Alfred and the others." He turned to look back at Superman. "Where's Bane?"

"Wonder Woman and I apprehended him and his accomplices with minimal difficulty. It seems despite Bane's advanced intellect, he hadn't planned anything besides eliminating Batman. The information about Batman's weakened condition physically and emotionally had spread and that was as far as he'd gotten. We took them all into custody and transferred his henchman to Commissioner Gordon and the Gotham PD. They are headed for Blackgate."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Dick, I know Bruce won't like this, but Bane we personally escorted to Belle Reve, where I believe he should have been all along. Arkham was never the best place to contain him. If it weren't for Bruce's need to control everything and everyone in Gotham, he would have been there in the first place."

Nightwing looked from Superman to his mentor. He understood Superman's point but he also felt he should be loyal to Bruce's decisions. "At least until things return to normal – whatever that is – Belle Reve is probably the best place for him."

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

Twenty-four hours later, Batman was still unconscious in the infirmary. Superman had called a Founder's meeting to have J'onn brief the group on Bruce's condition. Six superheroes sat at the round table. Five of the original seven were present. Donna sat in Wonder Woman's usual place.

"This morning when Batman hadn't awakened and brain activity generally continued to read as normal, we began to study the patterns of brain wave activity observed on the EEG – a basic sleep study. We very quickly noticed some unusual anomalies."

J'onn stood and walked over to stand in front of the interactive whiteboard and proceeded to pull up a graph. "This hypnogram shows what you typically find during a normal human nightly sleep cycle. There is a greater amount of deep sleep earlier in the sleep cycle, while the proportion of REM sleep – dream sleep - increases later in the sleep cycle and just before natural awakening. REM sleep accounts for 20–25% of total sleep time in most human adults."

"Overnight, Batman's EEG yielded this result." He paused for a moment to add another hypnogram to the screen. "I can't be entirely sure, but it looks like he is dreaming approximately 90-95% of the time. If his current results correlate to the typically observed dream cycle, he is only coming out of a dream for a few minutes before cycling back into REM sleep."

J'onn returned to sit at the table. "Although there is still much to discover regarding the function of dreaming for humans, normally during REM sleep, the mind has a chance to de-arouse from the stress and anxiety during the day. Most of us would agree that in theory this would be a helpful circumstance for Batman. However, to the contrary, this sleep state is particularly concerning given the current state of wear and tear on Batman's body over the last few weeks."

"During the deep stages of non-REM sleep, the body repairs and regenerates tissues, builds bone and muscle, and appears to strengthen the immune system. Staying in REM sleep is preventing his body from repairing itself while at the same time his brain is in overdrive. During REM sleep, heart rate and respiration speed up and become erratic. Therefore, the worst-case scenario is that Batman's accelerated heart rate over an extended period of time could potentially result in cardiac arrest."

The room was silent for a moment as everyone digested this information. Flash was the first to ask a question.

"But he's been unconscious just a day, right? Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves? He could wake up ten minutes from now."

J'onn nodded. "Yes, he could wake up at any time, but…"

"J'onn?" asked Superman.

"I've tried to reach him telepathically with an unexpected result. I received flashes of images, which are likely to be parts of a dream – but I was quickly…repelled by Batman. It was as if he knows he is dreaming and does not want me to interfere or interrupt them."

Donna sat silently, listening to the discussion. Unlike the others, she knew that Diana had somehow visited Bruce in his dreams when they were children and that it had something to do with his anger and her return to Themyscira. It happened before Donna had come to the island, so she knew very little about what actually occurred between them. Through their psychic connection she had felt Diana's pain at Bruce's rejection, but hadn't pushed her sister for the details. It was probably what had fueled her initial dislike of Batman as she hated seeing her sister in pain.

She knew his current state had something to do with what had happened, but she didn't yet know how.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

She found herself in a dark alley. It felt familiar to her. A boy sat on the ground, next to a man and a woman. Blood spilled onto the ground around them. The boy held the woman's lifeless hand. She watched the boy for a moment. The empathy she felt for him almost overwhelmed her. Fighting tears, she went to him. He needed her strength. She would give it to him. When she reached him she stood by his side for a moment, looking at his mother and his father as he was. "You don't have to stay here," she whispered.

Her blue eyes flew open and she sat up in bed. She stared blankly for a few minutes as she became conscious of her surroundings. Outside the window, the Earth was visible from her room – her sister's room – on the Watchtower.

The images from her dream flashed through her head.

Donna grabbed Diana's blue silk robe from the bathroom and left the room.

Several minutes later, she floated to a stop in front of Batman's room in the infirmary. She didn't have security code access, so she tapped lightly on the door.

The door opened. Behind it stood the handsome young man she'd met the other day.

"Oh. Hi Donna," he said with polite surprise.

"I think Diana's with him," she blurted out.

Confusion was clear on his face. "Diana's with who?"

She nodded into the room behind him. "Batman. In his dreams."

His eyebrows rose on his forehead at those words, understandably bewildered by her statement. "O….kay. I guess you should come in then."

Donna followed him into the room. "I know it sounds crazy."

She watched intently as Nightwing removed his mask and rubbed his eyes. After a moment he turned to her. "Sorry, I've been patrolling in Gotham all night. I was just stopping by the check on him. Please explain?"

Their blue eyes locked and she forgot for just a brief moment why she was there. That nervous excited feeling from the other day returned causing her to lose her train of thought.

"Donna? Explain why you think Diana is with him?"

She forced herself to focus. "Diana and I are connected…psychically I guess is the best way to describe it. I sometimes feel what she feels. I also sometimes dream what she dreams."

Dick gestured for her to take a seat. "You share dreams?"

She nodded. "Yes. I just had a dream that felt familiar to me, but I know it wasn't, as I had never had it before. I figured it must be her dream and that it was familiar to her, but I don't think it is really_ her _dream."

She noticed that he was looking at her like she had grown two heads. "Wait, this isn't making sense - can all Amazons share each other's dreams?"

"I'm sorry. Yes. I mean no. I mean, just Diana and I share dreams. Not the other Amazons. Oh, Hera." She paused and took a deep breath. "You see, I'm not – or I wasn't – an Amazon when I first ended up on Themyscira. When I was two, Diana found me floating offshore in a lifeboat. My mother was with me but she didn't survive. After that, Hippolyta sort of adopted me."

"For an island that is supposed to be magically hidden from the outside world, a lot of people seem to get shipwrecked or crash-land there." He flashed an amused grin at her confused attempts to explain.

Donna returned his smile. "I think the gods must have taken pity on me and allowed me to be found."

"The last time an adopted Amazon came here it didn't go so well," he teased.

Donna blushed and grinned sheepishly back at him. "Not to worry, I'm not as good at biology, so no plans to infect and wipe out the entire male population. Besides, I kind of like the males I've met so far." Her blush deepened a little more.

"Good to know." He raised his eyebrows a bit and smiled. "But I still don't understand how you dream Diana's dreams."

"Since I wasn't actually an Amazon, I didn't have their…durability. I was younger and far more impulsive than Aresia when I came to Themyscira. She grew to maturity and was awarded Amazon physiology when she completed her Amazon training. So my careless behavior caused me to be severely injured as a child. Both Diana and Mother prayed to the Gods for help. The Gods agreed to save my life by giving me a piece of Diana's soul. Her gifts allowed my injuries to heal. It also gave me her powers and a special bond so that we sometimes share thoughts, feelings, and dreams. So I guess you could call us soul sisters," Donna explained.

"Ok then," Dick said, "why do you think Diana is dreaming his dreams?"

"Diana is the only person I share dreams with but this doesn't feel like her dream. So I think maybe I dreamt his dream, not hers. And the only way that could happen would be if Diana was dreaming it too. Let me tell you what I saw." She described to him the alley and the young boy who was sitting beside a man and woman lying on the blood-soaked ground.

Dick said nothing for a moment, and then went to the computer terminal in the corner of the room that was used primarily for checking the test results of injured League members. He remotely connected to Bruce's database in the cave and pulled up a case file with old crime scene photos. When he had found what he was looking for, he directed her attention to the screen.

"Did it look like this?"

"Yes. Well, the people aren't there, but the rest is the same. The little boy was him?"

Dick nodded slowly. "Yes, I think so. And those were his parents. They were murdered in front of him. I've been told he's had nightmares most of his life, but he never talks about it. Bruce would freak if he knew she was having his nightmares."

"Oh…. Maybe he did know?" Donna hesitated a moment as she didn't know how much she should say as Diana had told her this information in confidence.

Nightwing gave her a hard stare. "How would he know?"

Donna sighed, as she knew she had to explain if she was going to help Batman. "Diana told me that she went into his dreams as a child and somehow that was why she had to leave the League. She wouldn't tell me anymore about it though."

"Wait – you said Diana actually went _into_ his nightmares when he was a kid? She could go in and talk to him? How does that happen? And why?"

Donna shrugged. "I can probably guess how - if Diana was on Themyscira and visited him in his dreams long before they even actually met, it was probably one of our Gods or Goddesses that did it. Why? Your guess is as good as mine," Donna quipped with a wry smile that Dick returned with a sigh.

"If she's in there now, has she gone in to get him to come out of it or is he refusing to wake up because he is with her?"

They both looked over at Bruce, whose expression now looked fairly serene.

"But Dick, why would he refuse to wake up because she was with him? I can feel how much Diana cares for him and I am sure she would love to be with him in the real world."

Dick leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "That is actually part of the problem. In reality he thinks he's not good for her, good enough for her, and could only bring her pain. In his dream they could be anything to each other and since it isn't real, none of that matters."

"So, if what you say is true and she is in there with him now, how is she going to get him to wake up?"


	8. Ideal

A/N: So, the plan was for this to be a long chapter concluding with the eventual 'waking up'. However, I'm a little stuck and since I was almost at 3K I decided to go for the subtle cliffhanger instead. Besides, there are a few things foreshadowed that deserve a new chapter before being revealed. Any guesses?

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

IDEAL

Diana watched as the orange haze of the sun reflect on, then fade behind the ever darkening blue of the ocean horizon. She stood on the balcony outside of her bedchambers in the Queen's Palace, just as she had done every night since returning to the island. As her days were a struggle to think of anything but him, it was during this time that she allowed her thoughts to roam freely and unfettered, knowing that they would quickly find and focus on Bruce. It was her time, the only time during each day that she released the hold she kept on her emotions and allowed herself to embrace them.

"Come Princess Diana of Themyscira, we have much to discuss."

Startled, Diana quickly spun around to find herself facing the glowing and enchanting form of the Goddess of Beauty and Love.

With a bow and nod of her head, Diana greeted the divinity. "Lady Aphrodite, how may I be of service?"

"It is not I that needs you my child. He does. Thoughts and dreams of you consume him and now he's lost within them."

Diana's brow wrinkled with concern. "He's lost My Lady?"

"Yes, he was injured in battle and fell dormant. A blow to the head. He sleeps still and has become lost in near ceaseless dreams, his soul calling for yours. It is time for you to go and guide him once again."

"Again? But Themis and Morpheus – "

"Themis is quite content with your Champion's attentions to her and they shall continue when he awakens. As much as he may fear it, they'll not be restrained. Your presence will only aid him in his quest for justice. It is only your absence that hinders his mission. So, he must be brought back."

"Morpheus shall aid me then?"

"No Princess. You do not need Morpheus's aid. You never have. This has always been in your power. You have already done it by your own power when he was overwhelmed by that dreadful plant. Since you first went to him, this has been in your power."

A questioning expression spreading across Diana's perfect features. Bruce's parents. She was unable to speak the words to ask the question. She did not need to.

"Diana. His mission has always been a part of him. It was never necessary to take his parents from him. That was simply the exercise of a destructive man's free will. The only manipulation of his mortal life made from Olympus was sending you to him as a guide for the first time."

She smiled as Diana's eyes closed in obvious relief. "Now, enough time has been wasted. Sleep and go to him. Again, it is in your power to so. You may choose to simply observe, but you may also intervene as you wish. He also has this ability. This information you may share with him. It's a powerful gift, use it well."

In a shimmering flash of white light, Diana found herself alone in a now darkened room. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she processed what had just occurred.

Before long, she walked over to lie on the large bed that was covered with the light, white cotton fabric that had been made by her sisters on the island and was appropriate for the tropical heat. She smoothed down the skirt of the short white chiton she wore and then closed her eyes. The gentle ocean breezes washed over her as she tried to relax, yet maintain her focus on where it was that she wished to go.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

Once again, in the comfort of her own bed, she fell into a deep slumber and soon found herself in the dark alley once again. However, the world was no longer strange. It was even more familiar. It was Bruce's world.

He kneeled on the ground, next to his parents. He was still holding his mother's lifeless hand. She watched him for a moment. The empathy and now love she felt for him almost overwhelmed her. Again, fighting tears, she went to him. Once again he needed her strength. And once again, she would give it to him. When she reached him she stood by his side for a moment, looking at his mother and his father as he was. "You don't have to stay here," she whispered.

Before her eyes, the boy changed into the man as he stood and turned to her.

This time he wasn't startled or confused. His blue eyes looked weary but as he looked at her his expression became suddenly serene. For different reasons than it had years before, her heart ached at the sight of him.

"I've been waiting for you." He walked up to her and took her hand.

Diana narrowed her eyes. "You have?"

"Yes."

Diana's eyes widened as the scene around her transformed from Park Row to a cliff side overlooking the ocean. The waves were crashing against the rocks below. She turned and looked over her shoulder. As expected, Wayne Manor loomed behind her.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know if I did do it. How do you know it wasn't you?"

"This is your home, not mine." She paused for a moment, studying his expression. He looked …. relaxed. It was unusual to see him look that way unless he also wore Bruce Wayne's aloof expression. Which he did not.

"Bruce, Aphrodite – she said you were injured and lost in your dreams. But you don't look lost. You are not lost are you?"

He shrugged again, one corner of his mouth lifting up a bit in a half-smirk. She should have known. When has Batman ever been lost?

She had the odd sensation that he was playing with her. She felt her irritation growing with her confusion. "Bruce. You weren't injured – well you probably were injured – but you aren't lost or trapped here. You look comfortable. Like you are…you are choosing this. You are, aren't you? This isn't like you. Why are you here and not in Gotham?"

"I've only been gone one night and I couldn't patrol if I was there anyway. Besides, Dick has things under control. He can handle it. He always could. I also wouldn't be surprised if your sister is soon helping him."

"My sister? How do you know that?"

"I can hear them talking."

"You can hear them?"

"Yes, in the infirmary at the Watchtower." He paused for a moment as if he were listening for something. "Well, I could before you arrived. I guess I can't multi-task while I'm dreaming."

"So you are doing this intentionally?"

"Some, but not all of it. I can't control what I dream about, but the fact that I'm dreaming at all was very intentional."

"Why?"

"For a few reasons. I needed to know how….. it was possible. And I wanted to see you."

"How did you know it would work?"

"I didn't. But you've done it before. I thought if I went to sleep long enough, you might eventually come."

"You intended to get a head injury so you could dream?"

"No, I planned to fall asleep and then dream – a lot."

"How did you do that?"

"It was simple, really. REM rebound. REM sleep is the stage of sleep when you dream. After periods of sleep deprivation, the length, frequency, and depth of REM sleep increases. So I stayed awake. For days."

"But you do that all the time. Sleep deprivation is a way of life for you."

"Not for this long. Alfred drugged me last week. I was livid. It set me back days."

"So, you were severely sleep deprived and went patrolling. And you are now in the infirmary, so you must have gotten hurt. What happened?"

"Bane."

Diana was silent for a moment. Her irritation had rapidly rose to anger the second she heard the name. "Bane," she said finally. "You went out and fought Bane severely sleep deprived? You could have been killed. Just so you could see me? That was incredibly stupid and you are anything but stupid, Bruce. Why are you doing this?"

For the first time since she'd appeared in the alley, he looked away from her. "I fight tired all the time, besides, I said it wasn't just so I could see you. But why I wanted to see you was so I could talk to you and show you..." his voice drifted off. "Without the inhibitions and restraints I can't seem to push out of the way while I'm conscious. Like I was able to – back then. You needed to know. I couldn't leave it like that."

Angry Diana went to infuriated in seconds. "So what you are saying is that you have to be _fucking asleep_ to really talk to me? You know that's total bullshit Bruce, but it certainly IS like you to think that it was necessary."

Suddenly her eyes flew open. She could hear the ocean, feel the ocean breeze, and see the stars outside her window. But it wasn't the cool breeze off the eastern seaboard of the United States anymore. She was back in Themyscira.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

In the Watchtower infirmary, Donna sat by Bruce's bedside flipping through a magazine Black Canary had given her. Nightwing had wanted to share his update with Alfred. Donna had offered to stay with the promise that Dick would also sleep at least a few hours..

She jumped as the monitor alarms began to go off. Bruce's heart rate was rapid and irregular. He breathing was shallow and labored. Donna looked at his face – his serene expression was now one of anguish.

She decided efficiency was in order. _J'onn. Bruce is in distress_.

Within seconds J'onn materialized through the floor and began checking the readings on the monitors. Finding no obvious cause for the change in his condition, J'onn turned to begin doing a cursory physical exam, including listening to Bruce's breathing and heartbeat and checking his reflexes.

"How…unexpected," J'onn uttered surprise at the condition of the patient with his usual stoicism.

Donna came over to see what had J'onn concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Yesterday, Batman was covered with purple and black bruises. Today, they are nearly gone."

"I take it that is unusual?"

"For Amazons, no. However, normal humans do not heal this quickly."

They both watched as Batman inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly in his sleep. Then just as suddenly as the alarms on the monitors had started to go off, they stopped.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

As soon as she realized he had awakened, she set her mind to immediately return to sleep. Some deep relaxation exercises and she was able to return to a deep slumber. It took very little time until Diana found herself dressed in a long white coat walking through a cemetery.

It was winter and there was snow on the ground. She saw footprints immediately and followed them, her tall black boots falling into each print as she wound through the cemetery and between the tombstones. He'd never brought her here, but she knew it just the same.

His back was to her when she found him. His back was to her and he was facing what she knew were the graves of his mother and father. She approached him steadily. When she reached him, she slipped her hands under the arms of the black wool coat he wore and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her head on his back. She felt him inhale and exhale deeply when she settled against him.

"Hera, Bruce," she whispered. "The way you constantly torture yourself breaks my heart."

"You left."

"I know, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

He turned in her arms to face her. "I thought I'd lost you again."

"You have never once lost me, Bruce. You repeatedly push me away." She pulled back a bit to slide her hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders. His arms tightened around her.

She looked over his shoulder and stilled as she caught sight of the tombstones behind him. The two large ornate stones of Thomas and Martha Wayne were expected. The third was not expected. It was hers.

"Bruce?"

He knew her question. "I'm always afraid I'll lose you."

She laid her head on his shoulder. "Bruce. Be logical. I'm nearly indestructible."

He pulled his head back to look at her. "Like I said, I'm not choosing these dreams – they just happen. But the fears are real. Maybe it's not logical to live in fear that something will happen to you, but I still do."

"So, this is what you wanted to show me? This is an obstacle? Is this what you needed to be asleep to talk to me about?" The irritation felt earlier hadn't completely left her.

He paused a moment longer to study her before directing a small, playful smile at her. "Diana, I didn't know you knew those kind of words. Who taught you to curse like that?"

Despite where they were, she felt the mood lift a little and smiled back. "Yes you did. You've heard them in Ancient Greek many times. And I've been in man's world long enough to have picked up the translated versions."

"From Shayera."

She laughed. "How'd you guess?"

"She curses like a sailor. I'll bet those were the first words she learned on Earth. She called me a jackass just last week."

"She's both articulate and intelligent." Her eyes sparkled at him. It felt _so good_ to just be here with him right now. She glanced around. They were back on the lawn outside Wayne Manor. She wondered vaguely why they kept coming back here.

They were standing on the cliff again with their arms around each other. The snow began to fall softly. She brought her blue eyes back to his. His expression had become serious.

Her heart began to pound at the way he was looking at her. She felt the warmth flood her cheeks as they flushed with anticipation. He wasn't angry with her right now. They weren't hiding during an alien invasion. She closed her eyes as he threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her lips to his for their first real kiss. No, it wasn't actual reality, but they shared it and it felt real. And that was enough for now.

It began slow and tentative, growing slowly in intensity. He fisted her hair in his hands and tilted her head back. As her lips parted, he slipped his tongue between them. The feel of his tongue sliding against hers sent a shockwave through her. The kiss grew more passionate and more desperate.

How could it possibly have taken so long to do this?

When they finally broke apart for need of oxygen, they rested their foreheads against each other and breathed deeply.

"Diana?"

"Mmmhmm?"

"Why do they keep sending you back to me like this?"

Diana tried to pull away from him, but he held her tightly. She looked at him in confusion as she couldn't break free. He didn't move when she pushed against him again, harder. She should have been able to escape easily. He smirked and shrugged as she looked at him and struggled.

"It's my dream. Do you want me to let you go?"

She stopped and shook her head. "No." She was feeling apprehension at trying to explain how she was able to keep returning to the recesses of his mind.

"Diana, why are they sending you here?"

"Well, technically they aren't." She explained what Aphrodite had told her. She had the ability to enter his dreams and had apparently been able to since that first time. "She said we've always been able to do this – since that first time. You could do this as well. The connection made that first time never left us. She said we became bound to each other then."

He released her and pulled back at that statement. The look on his face very clearly told Diana that this was not information he welcomed.

"Is that why? Is it why I can't just let you go?"

Once again she began to feel angry. "Is it why can't you let me go? Bruce, why can't it just be about how you feel about me?" She crossed her arms in front of her, in a defensive pose.

"You are the image of perfection, Diana – an ideal. Every man on Earth is in love with you. It's more than that. It's my inability to leave you alone. I try to stay away, but I can't. I have never _not_ been able to stay away from someone before, no matter how I felt about them. You know me. I don't like being played like a puppet by your Gods."

Her head was spinning. They had gone from… to…._this_ in a matter of seconds. What in Tartarus was _wrong_ with this man?

He paused to turn away and look out at the ocean. It suddenly seemed like he couldn't face her. "I'm sorry, Diana. You know I'm not good for you. Not for anyone, really. You shouldn't be forced into this. I know you, if you ever wanted to leave you wouldn't. You'd stay in it out of a sense of duty. "

She wanted to hit him.

Diana opened her eyes. She was alone in her palace bedchambers. It was morning. "Hades." A string of profanity in Ancient Greek followed.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

**Chapter End Notes:** In case anything seems OOC here - I tried keep it not so much, but keep in mind we are talking dreams here. If anyone has studied Freud, dreams are supposed to represent 'wish fulfillment' and attempts of the unconscious to resolve conflict. There will probably be a little more of that in the next chapter, but in this one I see the Bat as exerting more control than most over something that is supposed to be unable to be controlled. What is needed is for someone to take some of that control away...


	9. Mirage

A/N: Many thanks to DaisyJane for the beta and revisions to the dialogue. To call this just an amazing beta would be incredibly insufficient.

Spoilers for 'Doomsday Sanction'; minor reference to 'This Little Piggy'

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

I also don't own 'Chasing Cars' but really, really love the song.

_I don't quite know_

_How to say_

_How I feel_

_Those three words_

_Are said too much_

_They're not enough_

_If I lay here_

_If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me_

_And just forget the world?_

_All that I am_

_All that I ever was_

_Is here in your perfect eyes_

_They're all I can see_

_I don't know where_

_Confused about how as well_

_Just know that these things_

_Will never change for us at all_

_If I lay here_

_If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me_

_And just forget the world? - __**Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol**_

**MIRAGE**__

She sat up in bed. She felt like hitting something. Hard. Even technically unconscious, Bruce was infuriatingly frustrating.

At least he was no longer angry with her. Judging from his behavior and what he said, the blame was now directed entirely at her deities.

So, she had a few decisions to make. Would she try and 'connect' again? If he no longer resented her secrecy, could they work together again? Was she even willing to try? Could she even go back and be his colleague, let alone his friend? Could they both pretend they didn't want more?

She sighed. Of course she would try again. She never had wanted to give up on him. Let's face it, she had a stubborn heart as well. Besides, it was quite clear that this was what her goddesses wanted and so she would continue to try if that was their desire. Ignoring her deities was never a good idea even if Bruce was being an ass.

The anger she had experienced during their last dream left her wide awake from the adrenaline surge. She needed to relax, so she grabbed some fresh clothing and went for a bath.

Shortly after returning to her room, there was a knock at her door. Outside she found her breakfast waiting on a tray sitting in the hallway. As she picked it up, she felt movement behind her and quickly turned.

Athena. The Goddess of Wisdom.

She resisted what she knew was a juvenile and extremely inappropriate urge to roll her eyes. Athena would not be amused.

"Lady Athena," she said as she bowed her head.

"I find it incomprehensible that an Oan Power Ring has yet to find its way to your mortal's hand. He has a strength of will like no common man." Diana raised her head in shock and the Goddess smiled, "It has been a source of never ending frustration for Aphrodite. There are days when I am sure she is this close to smiting him down. She doesn't because she knows it will upset you."

"You will have to thank her for me," Diana said with a smile. "I can understand where he is coming from though. The gods did manipulate our connection."

"Not really," Athena sighed. "They gave you an opportunity to connect-what relationship developed was your own choosing."

At Diana confused expression she continued. "It is like a parent sending their child to a good school with the hopes the child will learn and excel. Your mortal could have ignored you."

"He was vulnerable..."

"That does not change that he needed and wanted you. He chose to connect with you and he chose the path he followed because of that connection."

"I understand but as you are saying but he willful and stubborn..."

"But Diana, you also possess this strength of will. Use it."

Diana thought to herself that her strength of will had taken as much of a beating lately as her patience. "My Lady, but to what end? I do not understand why I am to continue to endure this struggle when he clearly does not desire me to do so."

"Diana, your gift of wisdom knows the truth in him. If you break through the barriers he constructs, this bond will grow and it will not be limited to your dreams. However, as you both created it, you can also choose to grow it or to destroy it. Growing it will be of great benefit to the world you protect, but will eventually require difficult decisions to be made."

Diana's look clearly expressed her desire to know more. Before she could ask, the Goddess shook her head. "No, Diana. At this moment, it matters not. For, if the gift is rejected, no decisions will be required. The choice belongs to you and the mortal."

Then she was gone.

Sighing, Diana climbed back onto her bed. Surprisingly, with a little focus – and despite the fact that it was morning and she had just recently awakened – sleep came easily.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

She saw only darkness when she opened her eyes. She felt a…warmth permeate within her. Almost as soon as this registered to her, she felt the weight of something or – someone – move on top of her. An unbidden moan escaped her lips, as she felt warm, soft lips kiss a trail from her collarbone to her breast. At the wet sensation of a tongue stroking her nipple, the lust-filled fog in her brain quickly cleared and Amazon instinct kicked in.

In a flash, she flipped on top of the 'someone' and pinned them down. Roughly.

"Diana –" a voice croaked out.

Bruce? Oh. He's dreaming about…

She sat back and straddled his thighs, while at the same time becoming highly aware of the fact that only a scrap of black lace was currently separating herself from…Bruce.

He sat up slightly and leaned over to turn on a light. They both blinked several times before locking blue gazes. Bruce fell back onto the bed and continued to look at her. If it weren't so out of character, she might have caught the slight blush that spread across his handsome features at being caught in having such a dream.

"Hello, Princess."

Inexperienced curiosity got the better of her and she began to rapidly fire off the questions she needed answered. "Aphrodite told me that you dreamt of me. Is it something you do often? I mean, under normal circumstances?"

His eyes darted away for a brief second before returning to fix on hers. "Very often."

For a few silent moments, they continued to look intently into each other's eyes. Then to Bruce's dismay, she climbed off and stretched out on the bed beside him. She pulled up the sheet and wrapped it tightly around herself. They both stared at the ceiling.

"Bruce, does this feel different?" She searched for the right words. "Than the other dreams did?"

"Ummm…different?" Articulate Batman was noticeably absent. "I wasn't dreaming about you when you came before. You always came as an observer. "

She nodded. "I know. But now that I am not just observing, is it different now than when you have had other dreams of us like…doing…this?"

After a moment of thought, he replied, "Yes. It's not really like a dream anymore now that you are here. I guess it's more like a fantasy than a dream." He rolled over onto his side to look at her again, eyes darkening. "Just now, it was a lot like I woke up from a dream and found you in my bed."

Their eyes locked and both momentarily forgot the outside world and all of the issues they had. He gently lifted the sheet away from her as his hands resumed their earlier explorations.

Firmly gripping her generous breast, he rubbed her nipple with the pad of his thumb, causing it to harden. Leaving her breast, his hand migrated lower, across the smooth planes of her torso, pushing under the scrap of black lace.

"Bruce…" Her words began to come with short, panted breaths. "Would this… be how… it feels?"

"I've not been with you this way, Princess," he whispered. He again brought his lips down to her breast while the fingers continued their gentle stroking.

"But you've had…been with…" She shook her head a bit as if to shake her words and thoughts free. "Does this feel the same?"

He tilted his head slightly to look up at her. He knew what she was asking. "No. But I never did expect that being with you would be the same as it was with anyone else," he whispered.

"Please," She was becoming more insistent. "Tell me."

"Mmmm?" he murmured as he continued his 'work'.

"I'm sorry, Bruce." Her voice was a barely audible whisper as if the words were difficult to say. "I just want to know if this is how it would be…. If this feels real … In case it's the only way I can…with you."

Bruce's head snapped back up to look at her face. Her eyes were closed and her lips were parted as she seemed to be soaking up every detail of the experience. It suddenly felt very, very wrong. He felt very wrong. He didn't feel wrong about being here with her, like this – but wrong about only being with her here, like this.

The weight of his whole belief system – who he was and the future he was meant for – fell away. In its wake was left a sense of panic and uncertainty that he'd only felt once before in his adult life. He'd literally gone to Hell and back for her that night.

He had stilled his ministrations and moved his hand to her cheek to gently turn her face toward his. Long black lashes fluttered open to reveal bright eyes, moist with unshed tears. He swallowed. She was so beautiful.

He tucked the sheet back around her and dropped soft kisses on her shoulder and lips before lowering his head to the pillow beside hers. Wrapping both arms around her, he drew her tightly to him.

"Princess, I'm not sure I know what's real anymore. Or what's right." They lay in silence, neither wanting to face what the world had waiting for them.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

A small group that included Superman, Nightwing, J'onn J'onzz and the current Wonder Woman had gathered in the infirmary at the Watchtower. They had come together to discuss Batman's condition.

"He's been unconscious around two days. However, cardiac, respiratory, and neurological activity remain stable. If anything, his heart and lungs are functioning more efficiently. What concerns me is something entirely unexpected." J'onn paused to call up some medical records on a very large, portable, touch-screen monitor that had been wheeled into the room.

"I had a series of X-Rays taken just over an hour ago. Just upper and lower extremities. The top of the screen shows the recent X-Rays." J'onn proceeded to drag several images from a folder to the bottom of the screen. "The X-Rays at the bottom are ones we took right after Batman was brought in two days ago."

Superman, having extensive knowledge of human anatomy and meta-human vision, quickly recognized what had J'onn concerned. "That's impossible. There must have been a mix-up with the films."

J'onn replied immediately, "I considered that as well, so I verified them with X-Rays taken previously, including the ones taken when he was injured diverting the missile from San Baquero. There is no mistake."

While the two were talking, Dick had been comparing the X-Rays and deciphered what had J'onn and Superman concerned. "So, what you are saying is that there is no longer evidence of any of these previous injuries on current films?"

"No," said J'onn. "And there's more."

J'onn walked over to the bed where Bruce lay sleeping. Nobody brought it up, but the oddly content look on Batman's face was disconcerting to all of them.

J'onn proceeded to unsnap the shoulder of Bruce's blue hospital-issue gown.

An audible gasp was heard from Dick. "What the hell is going on? I helped Alfred stitch-up half of those scars that are no longer there."

He turned to Donna who looked back at him with wide eyes. "Maybe you should tell them what you told me?"

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

Diana opened her eyes and found herself looking up at a blue sky. She was outside. She heard the sound of ocean waves crashing nearby. She smelled saltwater in the air and felt the ocean breeze on her bare skin. In between the sound of the crashing waves, she heard a soft chuckle in Bruce's soft baritone and seconds later – a giggle?"

As she sat up on the blanket she'd been lying on, the sight before her quite literally took her breath away. Bruce was on his knees building an extraordinarily complex-looking sandcastle, clad in nothing but a pair of pale blue board shorts slung low on his hips. As heart-stopping as that vision was, it was not what caught her attention. He was kneeling next to a small girl, approximately two years of age. She wore a navy and white gingham one-piece swimsuit with ruffles and halter ties at the neck. The little girl had jet-black curls and looked over at Diana with ice-blue eyes that shined with affection.

Diana's heart nearly stopped. She quickly rose to watch the scene with rapt attention.

"B—Bruce?"

He looked up at her with a start and then looked back at the child for a instant before turning back to her. The momentary look of confusion was quickly replaced with recognition. Vague images of a normal dream apparently were replaced with extraordinary clarity when Diana joined it.

Bruce jumped up and walked over to where Diana stood frozen, staring at the little girl. He took her hand.

"Bruce," she said again, her eyes not leaving the girl on the beach. "Is this your dream or mine?"

"Mine," he replied. He was uncomfortable. "I've had it before."

She whipped her head to the side to look at him before almost immediately turning back to the raven-haired child on the beach who had continued to play in the sand. Mesmerized, she watched as the toddler created a dinosaur 'fossils' using individual sand molds of dinosaur bones.

Diana spoke slowly. "So… she's… ours?"

"Yes," he whispered.

"And…you've had this dream before."

"Yes."

"What's her name?"

"Alexandra."

Then Diana closed her eyes. He squeezed her hand. Her heart again ached within her chest. "Bruce, I don't know if I can take much more of this."

She hadn't opened her eyes, but she knew the scene around her shifted again. The sound of the ocean waves and warmth of the sun was replaced by the sound and feel of a crackling fire.

Her eyes remained closed. "No, Bruce. I wasn't ready to go yet."

"Princess, I'm not in control of what I dream about."

She sighed. "Where are we now?"

"Back at the manor."

Diana slowly opened her eyes, staring straight ahead. They were standing as they had been, her hand in his. As she sensed, they stood before a crackling fire. After a moment, she tilted her head up slightly to look at the familiar portrait that hung above the fireplace.

Bruce's grasp tightened slightly as he pulled her back toward one of the large overstuffed chairs. He sat and pulled her into his lap. She turned to reach her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I want to wake up now."

His arms tightened around her. She knew exactly what he was thinking. Earlier in his bedroom, on the beach, and in this very moment, he could have exactly what he wanted without any of his emotional baggage. He wasn't ready to let go of the dream yet.

Diana pushed back from him slightly to search his eyes, twirling her fingertips in the black hair at the nape of his neck.

"Bruce, I was told me that this – whatever this is – was created by the two of us all of those years ago. It is something we chose to create. We can choose to embrace it and let it grow or to allow it to wither and die. I assume if I stay on Themyscira it will cease to be. No details were given, but it was foretold that growing it would mean a connection beyond that we've experienced in our dreams. Both of our missions would benefit from the connection, but we would eventually have to make difficult decisions. Athena did not say what those would be. We both know that there are often unexpected costs for such things."

He didn't speak. He couldn't. He just gazed back into her eyes, as if searching for answers within their blue depths.

"So, Bruce, you've had me in your dreams. It's time for some hard and real decisions."

Still he said nothing. Knowing she was about to go, he did the only thing he could at that moment. He kissed her.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

He blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the harsh artificial light. As he adjusted, his eyes swept clockwise across each person standing around his bed, five in all.

Bruce's gaze fixed on the very last person, standing immediately to his right. Looking directly at Dick and without missing a beat, he said, "Get. My. Clothes."

**Chapter End Notes:** I don't know if anyone has contact with Adrian Tullberg and he probably has other things to do, but his short fic 'Evolution' really needs to be a epic-length fic. Stubborn and strong-willed? Where else would a Power Ring in search of a new Green Lantern go than Gotham? Obviously, I love the idea.

Oh, and the reviews have slowed down – I'm going to definitely need some feedback to continue. One or two more chapters left.


	10. Inamorata

A/N: Many thanks again to DaisyJane for the beta. This story is looking to be longer than I had expected – the ideas keep coming.

To all the reviewers – thank you so much for the feedback and encouragement. There were a few comments that popped up after the last chapter – all wanting one very specific scene – and since this is going longer than expected, I'll see what I can do to satisfy before the story ends.

Minor spoiler for "World's Finest"

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

INAMORATA

Tonight, Bruce was in no mood for distractions and he was clearly agitated. He wanted off the Watchtower right away. The others were kicked out of his room immediately – and rather unceremoniously.

"You four – get out."

Granted, he wanted to get dressed and two of his visitors were female – Shayera and Donna - however, Superman looked more than a little irritated at being dismissed. He crossed his arms in front of his chest in his trademark pose, refusing to budge. J'onn just gave Dick a sympathetic look and dematerialized through the floor.

When Batman was in this kind of mood, almost everyone was afraid to do anything except exactly what he what he wanted. Not that they didn't also do exactly what he wanted when he was in any other kind of mood. The exceptions being Diana, Dick and, of course, Alfred. You could probably count Selina as well; she never did anything she didn't want to do. Today, Superman appeared to be up to the challenge of defying the Batman.

Nightwing knew better than to argue this time. Sometimes he would argue, but that was usually just to have a little fun at Bruce's expense. He rarely expected to win an argument, but he did like to push the old man's buttons. Dick left the infirmary to retrieve the suit, leaving the two men glaring at each other.

He was gone for less than five minutes, just enough time to run to Batman's quarters and grab one of the back-up suits he kept on the Watchtower. Dick returned with the suit and was approaching the infirmary when suddenly something – or someone – came crashing through the door and hit the opposite wall.

Superman sat on the floor, stunned, looking back at the doorway he had just been thrown through. Batman stood, also stunned, looking back at Superman sitting on the floor.

"What happened?" Dick asked.

"He pushed me," replied Superman, still looking at Bruce incredulously

"I pushed him," said Bruce. He looked annoyed.

"How hard did you push him?" Dick asked.

Bruce looked at Dick, frowning. "Not _that_ hard."

Sensing the commotion, J'onn rematerialized through the floor in the hallway. He looked from Clark to Bruce and then back to Clark again. "Have you told him?"

"He hasn't given me a chance," Superman replied as he floated from the floor to his feet. He turned to Bruce. "Now will you listen to me?" he asked

"No. I don't have time for this. Any discussion can wait. I threw you across the room the first time I met you," Bruce grabbed the suit from Dick and walked back into the room, pulling the privacy curtain between himself and the others who were now standing just inside the open doorway.

Superman pushed the issue. "That was different, Bruce. You surprised me back then. I wasn't expecting to be tossed like a rag doll by a guy dressed up like a bat. And it was just across the room, not through a heavy-duty, reinforced steel door."

Dick smirked at Superman's comments and pushed Bruce a little more, "You do seem in awfully good health for a guy who just two days ago got beaten to a pulp and then hit in the head with a steel beam."

There was no response from behind the curtain. After several silent moments, Bruce flung the curtain to the side and stood glaring at them, blue eyes blazing.

"What did you do? I have had more knife wounds, bullet wounds and dog bites than I can even remember getting. I've had shards of glass, metal rods, sheet metal, rocks – and Alfred only knows what else – removed from my skin. Hell, I've got scars left by the whip of a very pissed-off cat burglar. Where did it all go?"

The three just stared at him for a minute. During this time both Superman and Dick attempted to suppress the mental image of how and why Catwoman's whip would have made contact with Bruce's skin.

J'onn was the first to reply. "We are not sure of what caused your…healing. It happened while you were unconscious in the infirmary."

"That's not all of it though, Bruce. On your x-rays, it looks like you've never broken a bone and yet your skull had a hairline fracture just days ago," added Dick.

Bruce glared at Superman. Somehow understanding the look he was getting, Superman sighed and did yet another quick scan of Bruce's internal anatomy before replying, "It's true. I've checked three times now. There's not even any evidence of the back injury from Bane."

Bruce sat down on the bed, looking almost as if he was no longer able to stand on his own. Nothing could have been further from the truth. A memory flashed of his last few minutes with Diana. It was barely an hour ago but seemed like forever. '_A connection beyond that we've experienced in our dreams.' _He remembered what Diana had told him about her sister. He stood and looked at Dick.

"Javelin bay. Twenty minutes. Bring Donna."

"Where's the fire, Bruce?" Dick asked the question as he turned to leave.

"Themyscira."

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

Exactly nineteen minutes later, Batman stormed into the Javelin bay, cape swirling behind him. Dick and Donna were standing beside the Javelin that Batman typically commandeered when the need arose. It was the most technologicallysophisticated of the fleet. Donna was leaning with her back against the wall while Dick stood facing her, leaning forward and bracing himself with his right hand on the wall just above her left shoulder. She laughed softly and something Dick was telling her.

Donna swallowed her mirth and went wide-eyed as Batman stalked toward them. Immediately taking a cue from her change of expression, Dick straightened and turned around. As usual, Batman rejected the use of social niceties.

"What happened when you acquired Diana's powers?" He directed his full attention to Donna, ignoring Dick.

Donna squirmed a little under his scrutiny. She had been in the presence of Zeus and felt less intimidated. "I had fallen from a tree and was badly injured. Conventional Themyscirian medicine couldn't save me. The Gods agreed to do so by taking a piece of Diana's soul and giving it to me."

"And the effect?"

"I healed. Quickly. It also gave me strength, speed, and the ability to fly."

"On her?" Bruce's obvious impatience clearly indicated he was only really interested in what had happened to Diana.

"W-well, she said it hurt like Hades."

"Long-term?"

"Nothing that I'm aware of. She still has the same gifts the gods blessed upon her and she is still immortal."

"Fine."

With that, he turned on his heel and climbed into the Javelin. Dick and Donna backed away and watched him prepare to launch.

Donna breathed a sigh of relief that the inquisition was over. "He's very much lacking in social skills isn't he?"

"Oh, he has them but rarely as Batman. Then he doesn't use them unless he thinks it's necessary and he rarely thinks it's necessary. Don't take it personally. If he's really nice to you, it's probably not a good thing. It's a neat trick for freaking out criminals in Gotham. He is the only person I know that can be both good and bad cop at the same time," Dick quipped.

"He acts that way with Diana?" She could hardly believe her sister would put up with it.

"He has. He's usually a little softer with her though – but you probably wouldn't notice unless you know him. She understands him. It used to be strange to me how easily she seemed to get him. I guess not so much anymore." Dick hesitated for just a moment before he asked, "Now that Diana is coming back, will you have to go back to the island?"

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Probably not. It was always the plan for me to come to man's world as an emissary. But I guess the Justice League doesn't need two Wonder Women?"

Dick grinned, resuming his earlier position leaning over her bracing himself on the wall. Donna smiled up at him as he started talking. "You know, I've been thinking lately that there are advantages to being part of team but I'm not interested in going back to taking orders from Batman. So, I was thinking…"

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

The last rays of the sun were slipping behind the edge of the darkening water along the horizon. Once again, Diana watched the sunset as she stood on the balcony outside of her bedchambers. Finally, when her world became completely enveloped in darkness, she turned and walked into her room.

Her intent was to seek out her mother and have dinner. She made just halfway across the room when she felt the air shift behind her.

It stopped her in her tracks. She sensed that she was no longer alone. She struggled to suppress a feeling of hope that the intruder might be who she desired it to be. Her struggle was brief. When she turned she immediately felt strong, gloved hands on either side of her face as she was pulled into a passionate embrace.

At her gasp of surprise, he quickly took the opportunity to push past her parted lips to kiss her deeply and taste her fully. This kiss was real, intense, and desperate. She felt Bruce drink her in like a man who had spent days in the desert and was dying of thirst.

This wasn't an angry goodbye. This wasn't a strategy to avoid capture. This wasn't a dream. This was real. This was perfect.

When finally they pulled apart, Diana lifted her hands and slid the tips of her fingers beneath the cowl to push it back and reveal his intense gaze. Their eyes locked and they read the look in each other's eyes as the emotions sweep through them. She watched intently as he closed his eyes at its power as he allowed himself experience it. They both sensed it. This was new.

Still holding her face in his hands, he slid them down to her shoulders, then down her arms. He opened his eyes and he held her hands in his.

"I love you," he said, as he watched her face intently for a reaction.

For a moment, the direct simplicity of his statement took her by surprise. "I know," she said finally and smiled at him. "I love you too."

"I know." He did know it, but Diana still felt the wave of relief as it washed over him.

She tried to raise her hands to pull him to her again, but he grabbed her wrists and halted her movement.

"No, Diana." He tone and his look was serious. "We need to take this slow. Something has happened to me. I need to understand it and how it affects you before we take this any further."

Her blissful expression was swept away and replaced by one of concern.

"Why Bruce? What's wrong?"

He paused, as if searching for the right words. He didn't find them. "Nothing's wrong…exactly."

Her forehead crinkled as confusion was added to her concerned expression. Anything less than precise and articulate communication from Bruce was out of character.

He dropped her hands began to take off his gauntlets. "Diana, you've seen me patched up after battle enough times to know. I have many scars from many injuries…"

She nodded as she gave him a heated look and raised her hand to caress his cheek with her palm. "All markings of a true warrior."

He smiled back very briefly. It was very much like her to say such a thing. Shaking his head, he continued, "They're all gone, Diana. I'm completely healed – outside – and inside – according to J'onn and Clark. There's no evidence of me ever having any injuries – superficial or internal."

"I don't understand…"

Bruce sighed and turned away from her and faced toward the bed. He removed his cape and cowl, and then proceeded to detach the top of his suit from his waistband and pull it off, over his head. He tossed the Kevlar onto the bed and turned toward her.

"Princess. Look." He held out his hands, palms up, exposing the inside of his forearms. "No scars from bullet wounds, stabbings, dog bites, shrapnel…or anything else –"

His breath hitched as Diana reached out to him and ran her right hand over his chest, her focus suddenly diverted from what he was saying. With her hands and her eyes, verified for herself the now-flawless planes of his muscled chest.

He looked down at her hand as it smoothed over his chest. His eyes closed when she moved her fingertips over the slope of his collarbone and into a serpentine pattern down his pectorals. Diana swept from one side to the other, pausing briefly to brush across his nipple with the pad of her thumb. She flattened her palm and circled back towards his abdomen, running her hand over the taught muscles. Bruce logical mind shut down as his body started to throb at her touch.

She had forgotten about the scars and busied herself in memorizing every ridge and slope. As her hand moved lower, he broke out of the trance her touch had triggered. His hand stilled hers just before her fingers dipped below his waistband.

"Diana."

The stern, almost reprimanding tone of his voice caused her to pull her hand away as if she'd been burned. Stepping back and standing with her hands on her hips, she defiantly asked, "What is it exactly that you need to know Bruce?" She'd had enough of self-restraint and was more than ready to just take what she wanted.

"I can only assume this happened because of these dreams. I need to know how it happened and why. I need to know what other changes there will be. But most of all, I need to know if any of this can hurt you or diminish your powers – because if it will do either, in any way, this – us – it stops now."

"Hurt me? Why would you think it could hurt me?" She didn't feel any different. No, that wasn't true – she did feel different. Metaphorically she felt even stronger. To her it felt like together they were more than what they were alone. There was a feeling of interdependence that, as an Amazon, was completely unfamiliar to her. However, though unfamiliar, the feeling was not unwelcome. She enjoyed its warm embrace.

"Donna said that what happened to her hurt you a lot."

"That was entirely different," Diana replied in a dismissing tone.

"You don't know that."

"Well, I am the one who experienced what happened with Donna and this is nothing like that. Then I really felt as if a piece of me was removed and given to her. It was incredibly painful at first but with time I recovered and felt pretty much the same as before. But now, nothing's been taken from me now." Diana reached out and again cupped his cheek with her hand. "This time, I've only gained something and I feel more powerful than I have ever felt."

He put his hand over hers, although the tender gesture did not match his expression. His frown reflected that he was deeply concerned that this would turn out badly for her.

"That's not all Diana. Earlier –" he stopped.

"Earlier?"

"I put Kent through a door."

"Oh? Why?" Her hand dropped to her side.

"He tried to stop me from leaving the infirmary."

She silently waited for him to continue.

"All I was thinking was that I needed to get you back and he was in my way."

She smirked a little, but didn't respond and didn't look impressed.

"Diana. The infirmary doors are made from reinforced steel. The hinges broke off. They were designed to withstand meta-level strength. He dented the wall on the other side of the hallway."

"Is he ok?"

"Of course. He's Superman," Bruce scoffed.

"Then what next? Should we see if you can fly?" She was trying hard not to smile. He caught it anyway and something inside him seemed to snap.

Bruce grabbed her roughly by the arms and pushed her against the wall. Scowling, he said, "Diana. This is not funny. We didn't ask for any of this to happen but it is anyway."

She glared back, tired of his resistance and tired of the rampant paranoia. "So now what, Bruce? Why did you even come here? Maybe you shouldn't have bothered. It looks like if you want me, this comes with it."

His grip tightened as he gave her an intense look. "I want you, God do I want you," he said softly as he desperately took another kiss. "But I need to understand this."

She sighed, frustrated. Having no patience left for further debate, she walked over to the altar in the corner of her room. Kneeling, she uttered under her breath several phrases in Themyscirian.

Bruce watched her as he retrieved his armor, cape, and cowl from the bed. Without the cowl's enhanced amplification technology, he couldn't make out what she said.

It must have been a prayer, because suddenly, a flash of light rushed through the window. Instinctively, Bruce reached for his belt. In a split second Diana was next to him and stilled his hand with hers.

Diana bowed her head, "Hermes. I had expected Lady Aphrodite or Lady Athena."

"Yes, Diana, I know. I'm here to deliver a message from them. It is what I do," he smirked cockily.

"My apologies."

He brushed it off, "There's no need Diana. I've only come to tell you that you will not be getting the answers you seek."

Diana's eyes widened in surprise. Bruce's narrowed.

Hermes turned to Bruce, apparently unconcerned with hateful glare being directed his way. "You have caused Aphrodite a great deal of vexation. She has decreed that your heart and emotions are to guide you, rather than a misguided sense of duty or responsibility. You two are on your own."

And then they were.

They stood for a moment of shocked silence, staring at the empty air where Hermes had stood just seconds before.

Bruce pulled the cowl over his head and walked out onto the balcony.

Batman shot the grapple gun into the air toward the Javelin now hovering overhead. Diana stood in shock as she realized he was just going to leave. But before lifting into the air, he turned to Diana.

"You coming?"


	11. Metamorphosis

A/N: Many thanks to DaisyJane for the awesome beta.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

METAMORPHOSIS

Her mother was not pleased.

Diana had a sense that deep down, the pull that she felt toward Bruce was something that her mother understood. After all, the romantic debacles of the Queen of the Amazons were well known.

Diana glanced over at the two leather bags she had brought with her. One contained a few personal possessions that she decided to bring with her from the island. There wasn't much, her departure had been so abrupt that most of her things had been left in her room on the Watchtower that was now occupied by Donna. The other bag was from the Queen to be given to Donna. It contained a set of armor, belt, bracers, and lasso – similar to those worn by the Amazon champion. They had been crafted by Hephaestus at Aphrodite's request when Diana had first returned to the island. Apparently the Goddess had faith that Bruce would retrieve her and she and Donna would both choose to leave Themyscira. It saddened Diana that despite the fact that she had been prepared for the eventuality and knew this was as the Goddesses wished it to be, Hippolyta was still despondent that both of her daughters had left the island to become emissaries to Man's world.

While Diana had a conversation with her mother, Bruce had waited in the Javelin, circling the island. Diana knew that despite his natural self-confidence, when it came to her, hidden insecurities bubbled to the surface. When she flew out to the Javelin and boarded, he had stared at her silently for several seconds. She sensed his relief when she finally joined him. Apparently, he hadn't been certain if Diana would actually return with him, even if the Batman wouldn't allow his relief to show. He simply sat down and set the flight path to the Watchtower, not having said a word.

Now, as she and Bruce flew back in silence, Diana stared down at her hands which were alternating between smoothing the skirt of her chiton and being folded in her lap. She reflected on the encounter in her room, the conversation that she had just had with her mother, and the uncertainty that the future held. Right now uncertainty was fine with her. At least she and Bruce had taken a step forward.

As if he knew what she was thinking, Bruce's black gloved hand entered her line of sight, breaking her out of the deep train of thought. The fingers of his left hand slid against her palm as thumb rested on the back of her hand. He lifted and brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. When she looked up at him she saw that he'd pushed back the cowl and her eyes met his.

All of his emotion was laid out for her in his heated gaze. She could hardly comprehend how exhausting it must be to constantly repress emotions so strong and she was amazed by the strength of will he must have. He was no longer repressing them and although he still had issues and concerns that could bring everything between them to a painful and abrupt end, at that moment he seemed almost happy. At least he was as close to it as she had ever seen him be.

He released her hand as he prepared the Javelin to leave the Earth's atmosphere. Once they had entered space and were on the trajectory that would take them to the Watchtower satellite, Diana finally broke the comfortable silence between them.

"Do they know that you left to bring me back?" she asked.

Bruce shrugged as he adjusted the headings on the Javelin. "Dick and Donna watched me leave. They knew where I was going. I would imagine that at least the founders are all aware that I went after you. But they don't know that you agreed to return with me."

Diana tilted her head to look at him and smiled softly. "Donna will know."

"How and what does she know exactly?" For obvious reasons, Bruce was extremely interested to learn everything he could about the dynamic between Diana and Donna.

"She'll feel what's in my heart and know that I've come back with you. She knows already, I think, considering lately she has been more tuned into my emotional state."

The autopilot docking system took over as the Javelin approached the Watchtower. Bruce turned in his chair toward her. "Diana. These changes intensify as we grow closer. I still believe that it is important that we take this slow and don't make mistakes that could cause you harm."

Diana again smiled softly and sighed in response. "I'm fine Bruce, but if this is what you need, I will try to understand. Find out what you need to know. Just don't go too slowly. You've already kept me waiting for years."

He looked at her hungrily and Diana could tell that the years of waiting had also been hard for him as he nodded his head in agreement.

The Javelin docked and they both stood and faced each other. Diana reached up and gently pulled the cowl down over his eyes. She had turned and reached for the cockpit door when Bruce abruptly grabbed Diana's right elbow and spun her around. He took several steps forward to back her up against the door.

For several moments, neither of them moved. She looked back into the white lenses and knew that although she couldn't see them, his eyes were again searching hers. His face was so very close that her eyes couldn't help but be drawn to his mouth. Diana's lips parted as she began to breathe a little harder. Bruce leaned forward slightly, just enough to brush her lips with his – once – twice – before slipping his hands around her waist and pulling her to him for a slow, lingering kiss. She fisted his cape in her hands as it deepened and she was swept up in the heady sensation of his lips and tongue exploring hers.

When the kiss ended, he lay his cheek against her temple and whispered in her ear, "Once we open that door, I don't know how long it will be before I can do that again. Are you ready?"

She nodded her head, "Yes."

He sighed, "I'm not. I don't want to share you, but they're waiting." Bruce reluctantly pulled away from her and allowed Batman to take charge. He briskly opened the door and exited the plane, with Wonder Woman following close behind.

She had yet to retrieve her star spangled regalia, but as far as the five Leaguers waiting in the Javelin bay were concerned, Wonder Woman had come home. As soon as they caught sight of her descending from the aircraft, the waiting group began making their way toward them.

Of course, Flash was the first to reach her when she got to the bottom of the ramp and he quickly grabbed her in an embrace that was accompanied by a flurry of words. "It's so great that you're back Wondy-don't get me wrong-love the kid-but we really missed you."

The second that Wally's hug became longer than just a friendly greeting and rapidly began to approach 'copping a feel' territory, a very quiet but deeply threatening baritone uttered, "Enough."

Wally jumped back immediately while Diana turned and gave Bruce an admonishing look at what was, in her opinion, a blatant display of jealously and possessiveness. It was not a move tolerated by an Amazon. Batman didn't react to her disapproval or move from her side while, one by one, the founders each took their turn greeting Diana.

The emotional climate of the Watchtower, which had been cold and bitter since she'd left, seemed to immediately warm the moment she stepped off of the aircraft. Looking particularly relieved to see the princess, Shayera jumped in after allowing J'onn and John their turns saying hello.

"Eventually you will have to tell me what he said to get you to come back. In the meantime, let me know if he falls out of line again and I'll beat him with my mace," Shayera whispered in Diana's ear as she hugged her.

Batman's sound-enhanced cowl easily picked up her commentary, of course, and Shayera found herself on the receiving end of a Batglare. She just laughed in response and stepped aside for Superman to say hello. Those glares never did have the desired effect on her.

Diana sensed his discomfort though. She flashed him an affectionate smile that immediately melted away some of Bruce's tension. They were both struggling with the intensity of their emotions and the complexity of their situation. Their nonverbal communication conveyed a silent agreement of patience and understanding.

On the way to the conference room, Diana entertained questions about her stay in Themyscira, including questions about how her mother felt with her recent re-departure.

"How did Queen Hippolyta take the news that you'd be leaving again?" asked Shayera.

"She was unhappy, to say the least," Diana replied. "She made no secret that she disapproved of my leaving and the reasons for it." She ended her statement with a subtle glance in Batman's direction.

The four men looked at Batman sympathetically. No man wanted to face the wrath of an Amazon, let alone their Queen.

"At least you made it out unscathed," offered John.

"I waited in the car."

There was a moment of shocked silence. His comment took them all by surprise.

True to form, Wally broke the tension, "Wait - did Bats just make a joke?"

They were all still laughing – except Batman himself – as they entered the Founder's conference room and took their seats around the table. Diana's presence seemed to have erased any signs of the tension within team.

"Where is Donna?" Diana asked before Superman had a chance to bring the meeting to order.

"In Gotham with Nightwing, I think," responded John. "We had a transmission sent to her as soon as we knew you were back."

Shayera winked at Diana, "I'm sure she'll turn up, but probably not right away." With a sideways glance at Batman, she continued, "Pretty boy seems to be a lot more fun than his—"

"We have a number of issues to discuss." interjected Superman as he called the meeting to order and disrupted another Batglare directed at Shayera. Outwardly, he was all business but Clark was relieved that the tension within the group had lifted.

Superman paused briefly to smile at Diana before he continued, "Diana, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are very happy to have you back. Would you like to return to full, active-duty immediately or do you need a little time to settle back in?"

Diana's forehead crinkled thoughtfully. "Active duty, I think. Although there should be some consideration given to Donna's role in the League as well, if she still wants one. I would like to speak with her about it right away. In the meantime, J'onn, since Donna is staying in my room, is there a room available for me on the Watchtower while everything is being worked out?"

"I'm sorry, Diana, not currently. Perhaps you can stay in another founder's room – someone who has a permanent residence elsewhere? Superman?"

Clark nodded his head and immediately agreed. "Of course—"

Batman cut him off. "Alfred is expecting you for dinner. You can stay at the manor tonight and decide on living arrangements tomorrow."

As he said this, Batman had been looking down at the table at his PDA, getting updates on the criminal activity in Gotham. The silence that followed his directive caused him to look up. Five members looked back at him with a combination of surprise and amusement in their expressions. One member – the most important one – was frowning at him, decidedly not amused. He swallowed as he suddenly realized that his normal commanding tone conveyed an entirely different meaning under the current circumstances of their relationship. Things were definitely changing. Not that Diana had ever let him get away with giving her orders anywhere but while in battle, and not always then. This would take some getting used to.

"That is, you are welcome to stay at the manor tonight if you'd like."

Diana smiled, "I would love to, thank you." In all actuality, seeing Alfred, dining on one of his gourmet creations, and spending the evening at the manor was exactly what she would have wanted anyway. She subtly reached for Bruce's hand under the table and gave it a quick squeeze. He squeezed back although what could be observed of Batman's expression below the cowl remained stoic and unchanged.

Superman cleared his throat, "Ok, now that we have that settled, there is another issue to address. I would suggest that we next discuss Batman's recent physical…transformation."

"There is nothing to discuss, I'm fine. I'll handle it myself," Batman growled in response.

"Batman, it appears that in addition to whatever – extrasensory – connection you've developed with Diana, you seem to have also developed meta healing ability and meta-level strength. You don't have experience with this kind of power, there are certain precautions that need to be taken. It needs to be tested, analyzed. We don't know your limitations. You don't know-"

Obviously in no mood to listen to Superman's list of concerns, he cut the superhero off again. "Superman. I know more than you do about the strength and physiology of every meta on this satellite. Including yours. I will handle it myself. And as far of the rest of the League and the public is concerned, any 'connection' between Wonder Woman and myself, as well as the circumstances and reasons behind her return are nobody else's concern. Right now I need to return to Gotham." Batman stood and stalked out of the room, effectively ending the meeting but with Superman at his heels.

Superman followed him down the empty hallway. "I don't know much about what's going on with you and Diana. These connections, dreams – whatever – it obvious that there is something emotional behind them. I don't need to know the details and honestly, I'm not sure I want to hear them anyway."

Batman stopped and turned to stare at him. It was made very clear a few minutes ago that anything between he and Diana was not up for discussion. Superman was on thin ice.

Undeterred, Superman continued, "All I ask, and I am saying this as your friend, is that you be careful. Particularly on patrol. Until you understand your limitations and what's behind this, it is easy to forget that normal humans are fragile and can break easily." Superman paused and looked away from the cold stare he was getting, "I don't want to see anyone get hurt. Physically or otherwise. Especially her."

Batman turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Superman staring after him with a look of deep concern. When Batman reached the transporter room, Diana had already retrieved her bags from the Javelin and was waiting for him.

"You went a different way," he accused.

She grinned. "It seemed like you and Kal needed some male bonding time."

As she suspected, he wasn't amused. "Right. Thanks for that," he said sarcastically. She smiled sweetly at him in return.

They walked side by side to the transporter pad and Batman punched in several numbers. In a flash of white they disappeared and rematerialized on the transporter deck of the cave.

They made it down two of the ten steps leading to the cave floor before Bruce reached for her again. When their lips parted this time, instead of pulling away he blazed a trail of kisses along her jaw to her neck just below her ear. She tilted her head to the side allowing him easier access.

"Is this what it means to take things slow?" said Diana as she sighed contentedly.

He paused briefly between kisses to whisper into her ear, "Maybe I was wrong about that."

"Wait – what did he say? You have super-hearing, did he just say he was _wrong_ about something?"

They pulled apart abruptly to find Dick and Donna standing at the bottom of the stairs looking up at them. The two seemed not to have the least bit of concern or regret that they had interrupted Bruce and Diana's private moment. Bruce glared at Dick who stood smirking back at him.

Donna smiled brilliantly at Diana's flushed cheeks, clearly thrilled to see and feel her sister's happiness. Diana flew down the stairs to envelop her sister in a hug.

Bruce followed behind her, pushing back the cowl and still glaring at Dick as he descended the stairs. "So, you brought someone new to the cave, then?"

Dick replied dryly, "You know, I figured it would be okay since she's Diana's sister and you recently took two bullets for her."

"What? When did this happen?" asked Diana as she looked from Bruce to Donna then back again.

Bruce glared harder at Dick as he passed him but kept walking toward the cave's massive computer system. "It was nothing," he said, not bothering to turn around. "Another time."

Diana looked at Donna who just shrugged. Diana sighed. Despite their growing relationship, some things had definitely not changed – like Bruce's temperament. She didn't want or need him to change for her, so she decided the issue wasn't worth pressing. At least not right now. She could get the details from her sister later, if necessary.

Arm in arm, Diana and Donna followed Bruce and Dick to the main chamber of the cave. Bruce immediately sat at the computer and ignored the others as he began to check the log entries from the last several days.

"Ah, I see that despite the recent brush with death – and other more significant events – have not damaged your charming personality or sunny disposition, Master Bruce."

Bruce grunted in reply.

"Touche'," Alfred replied before he turned to their guests. "Miss Diana, I must say that given the circumstances of our last meeting, I am overjoyed to see you. I trust you are being treated with the utmost courtesy and consideration?"

Diana smiled at Alfred while she noted Bruce's slow, deep inhale and exhale of air. It was clear that her departure had caused significant strain between the two men. She again felt a strong desire to ease Bruce's tension. "I have no complaints, Alfred," she said with a smile.

"Very good. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. Miss Diana, may I take your bags? Perhaps you would like to change before dinner? Everything else you might need is your room upstairs, including your freshly laundered uniform."

Discussion of Diana's sleeping arrangements prompted Bruce to turn his chair and regard Alfred suspiciously. "Alfred, which room have you prepared for Diana?"

"Why the master bedroom, sir. Why do you ask?" His tone and expression were innocent, although it fooled no one.

"She will need to have another room prepared," Bruce responded.

"Certainly, sir. I will make those adjustments after dinner. In the meantime, sir, as you typically utilize the facilities in the cave, I'll assume Miss Diana is welcome to use the lavatory in your room?"

"Of course," Bruce sighed. He knew full well that Alfred had no intention of moving anyone's belongings. Nothing would make Alfred happier than for Diana to take up permanent residence in the master bedroom immediately.

Diana, Donna, and Dick had watched this exchange with fascination. Alfred was a master at managing Bruce's moods, attitudes, and idiosyncrasies. It was truly a battle of two indomitable wills. Bruce's somewhat defeated demeanor indicated that this round had gone to Alfred.

Alfred repeated his earlier question. "Miss Diana, may I take your bags up to the master bedroom?" he asked, ignoring the glare Bruce directed at him before turning back to his work.

"Yes – I mean no. I'm sorry, I mean just one of these bags is mine. The other is for Donna." Diana turned to her sister and handed her one bag. "Something mother asked me to bring you from Themyscira. Gifts from Aphrodite, I'm told, handcrafted by Hephaestus."

Donna grabbed the bag eagerly, suspecting what might be in the contents. She opened the bag and peered in. She quickly began to pull out the contents, item by item and hand them to Dick. Gold breastplate, gold belt, silver bracers, gold lasso.

"Alfred, look! Will these work ok?" Donna asked with obvious excitement.

"Wait – what could happen with this lasso touching me? Umm, could I just start confessing things?" asked Dick uncomfortably. The others ignored his questions.

"Yes, Miss Donna. I believe these will work beautifully," Alfred replied as he looked over the items Dick was still holding.

This question puzzled Diana. "Work with what?"

Donna turned to her sister to explain. "Diana, what I've been able to experience over the last few weeks has been … simply incredible. I've loved doing so much _good_ on such a large scale. But as rewarding as it has been, the whole time it hasn't really felt right. I felt like I was pretending. Pretending to be you. Everyone wanted me to be you." She paused and glanced over at Dick and smiled before she continued, "Well, almost everyone. Now that you're back, I want to be me. Alfred is helping me make my own uniform."

Diana took this in with a mixture happiness for her sister's enthusiasm, guilt that she had been made to feel like a substitute for the real Wonder Woman, and a little uneasiness that Alfred was making Donna's new costume.

Uncomfortably, Diana asked, "Alfred's making it? What will it look like?" She reddened, hesitating a moment before continuing, "You won't end up looking like a new Batgirl will you?"

Bruce, who had remained silent during this exchange, snorted in amusement at her question. Donna rolled her eyes and walked over to one of the workbenches that held a variety of materials for repairing and constructing the various 'Bat' costumes. She bent over and began to sketch something onto the open page in a large notebook, using several different colored pencils and displaying a well developed drawing skills. After a moment she straightened and came back to Diana holding the large white notebook out for her sister.

The page revealed a new uniform. It had red halter top, black pants with a large white star on each hip, and black boots. Donna had added the gold eagle breast plate, double W belt, and lasso.

Smiling ear to ear she said, "See Diana? I created the design myself and Dick insisted I bring it to Alfred. I promise it will definitely be more 'Wonder Girl' and not at all 'Batgirl'. I am an Amazon princess after all and an emissary of our people just like you. I would never forget that.

Diana smiled at her sister's worlds as she again looked down at Donna's design and said, "I love it."

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

At 3:00 AM, the Batmobile roared into the cave after patrol, driven by a very pissed-off Batman. He had just found out from Commissioner Gordon that Superman had relocated Bane to Louisiana. The Kryptonian had no business interfering in something he didn't understand.

The evening had started off remarkably well. There were some initial tense moments, but once the group gathered for dinner things relaxed considerably. Tim was beside himself that Diana was there and Dick and Donna's easy, mirthful banter created a lighthearted atmosphere. He hated to say goodbye to Diana to go on patrol, but knowing she'd be there when he returned made it easier to go. He couldn't hardly believe how comfortable he was with his change in attitude toward having Diana in his life.

He stopped first to see Zatanna. She was Batman's connection to all things mystical and the most logical place to start investigating the situation with Diana. He needed to know how and why it happened in the first place and what could happen if he let it continue.

When he arrived at her apartment, he silently slipped into the darkened living room. A minute later she passed through the living room on her way from the bedroom to the kitchen. She stopped just before she reached the doorway to the kitchen.

"Smelling the Kevlar, Bruce. What do you want? I'm off tonight – no performance and no League and you really are the last person I want to see right now." She flipped on the lights in the living room and turned toward him. Impatiently, she crossed her arms in front of her. "Besides, I heard you brought Wonder Woman back, so why aren't you somewhere trying to make it up to Diana for acting like such an ass all those years?"

"You smelled the Kevlar?"

She chuckled at his question and gestured for him to sit. "You have that 'new Batsuit' smell. As long as you interrupted my evening of rest and relaxation, you might as well tell me why you're here as I'm this isn't a social call."

Bruce fought the urge to roll his eyes at her sarcasm. "I need you to look into something." Pushing back the cowl, he sat and told her everything. He told her about the dreams, when they first started and when they started again. He left nothing out, including Diana's reasons for leaving and how he had reacted. He finished with the physiological changes and his reluctance to move things further with Diana, troubled that there would be some price to pay later. She asked questions throughout the story and he tried to answer them fully. Her provided more personal information than she probably needed and certainly more than he was used to giving. But he wasn't taking any chances. He wanted her to have all the information she could possibly need to find the answers to his questions.

Zatanna sat in silence for a few seconds when he finished, looking down at the floor as if she were deep in thought. Her eyes lifted slowly and she looked sideways at him. "Ok, Bruce. I'll help you figure this out. Under one condition." She lifted her head and her eyes sparkled with mischief, "Show me."

Now in the cave, Bruce rolled his eyes at the memory as he changed out of the Batsuit. He wondered why he seemed to surround himself with people that liked to push his buttons. He'd known Zatanna long before he had gotten most of his scars, but that didn't stop her from pushing to verify his story. And they may be just friends but that didn't stop her from wanting to check out his body for her own amusement.

After leaving Zatanna disappointed and in mid-lecture about his need to make Diana a priority in his life, Batman had tried to patrol for several hours. This was easier said than done. Despite how it appeared, he had taken Clark's concerns seriously. As loathe as he was to admit it, this was a subject where the Kryptonian really knew what he was talking about. Throughout the evening, he relied heavily on his bolas and grapple gun to take down the various run-of-the-mill thugs he came across. The use of Batarangs ended immediately after he embedded the first one he threw deep into a concrete wall. If this new strength was going to become permanent, he had a lot of retraining to do.

After the last 'package' was wrapped for the Gotham PD, the Batsignal went up, leading him to GCPD headquarters. Having heard about his activity across town that evening, Gordon took the opportunity to debrief Batman on the events of a few days ago. This is when he had learned from the Commissioner about Bane's incarceration at Belle Reve, information that had been glaringly absent from personal logs, updated by Dick and Tim in his absence.

Bruce emerged from the changing area freshly showered and dressed in cotton pants and a t-shirt. He was still angry at Superman's interference, but decidedly calmer. He walked over to the computer system and stood staring at his chair. His normal routine was to update his logs before going to bed.

He looked toward the stairs, conflicted. Nothing significant had occurred on patrol this evening. He decided the logs could wait. Diana was upstairs. The desire to be around her had always been a constant since the day they had met – the second time – despite his behavior and claims to the contrary. Whether because of her extended absence or their new…attachment, the pull was now exponentially stronger. He decided tonight's logs could wait and ascended the stairs to search her out.

It didn't take long. Immediately after stepping through the grandfather clock in the library, he found her asleep in a chair and wrapped in his thick navy blue robe, monogrammed with the Wayne "W" in gold. She'd been covered in a blanket, no doubt by Alfred. The book she had fallen asleep reading was lying discarded on the table next to her, apparently not having captured her interest. Bruce knelt in front of her chair and watched her sleep several moments, once again completely captivated by her beauty.

Suddenly making a decision, he stood, picked her up, and carried her upstairs.

E/N: Review please!


	12. Soulmate

A/N: Again, many thanks to DaisyJane for the beta. As I told her, opening a beta from her is like Christmas morning without the mess. :)

There is a small gift for a few of my reviewers who wished for more interaction with a specific person encountered in Bruce's dreams. Please keep reviewing!

I'm hoping to elicit emotion on this one, please let me know if it worked.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**SOULMATE **

Diana felt warm soft lips on her neck. Eyes closed, she sighed softly as gentle kisses blazed a trail from her ear to her collarbone. She sensed that the sun was high in the sky and she could feel its warmth on her skin. She had no idea where she was, but at that moment she didn't care. With Bruce she felt warm and safe and loved.

Her eyes opened when the kisses stopped and she felt a sudden movement behind her. Sitting up, she looked around and took in her surroundings. She noted immediately that she was outdoors, again on the lawn of Wayne Manor, approximately thirty yards from the cliffs that overlooked the ocean. Not far from the cliff was a large black walnut tree. Bruce was racing toward the tree.

She watched as he stopped short of the trunk of the tree and looked up into the branches overhead. Only her enhanced hearing allowed her to pick up what he said.

"Come down here, please." His tone was calm and soft, yet serious and authoritative.

Seconds after this command was given, Diana gasped as small sneaker-clad feet emerged from below the thick branches and _floated_ down to the ground next to Bruce. The raven-haired toddler smiled up at Bruce and reached up to grab his hand. Diana stared wide-eyed as they turned and began to walk toward her.

"Look, Mommy!" said the little girl as she ran up and jumped into Diana's lap. She opened her small fist to reveal the large walnut she held in her palm.

Diana stared at the child's hand for a moment before she looked up at Bruce and weakly replied, "Uh, look at that." This kind of interaction was exactly what she had wanted the last time the raven-haired, blue-eyed child had appeared. As much as she had craved it, in the moment it was more than a little unsettling. Diana felt frozen in place, unsure of what to say to the small person currently making herself at home in her lap.

The girl settled back and inspected her prize, her black curls spilling over Diana's shoulder.

"Dream?" Diana whispered hoarsely to Bruce over the girl's head, which rested just below her chin.

"Apparently," Bruce replied as he fully absorbed the sight of Diana holding their child.

"Yours or mine?" asked Diana.

"I'm thinking it's yours this time, especially since she can –"

"-fly?" Diana finished. "So that _is _what I saw. But why does flying make it my dream?"

Finally pulling his gaze off of the little girl, he looked at Diana and raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I would never want her to end up doing what we do. And flying at this age is beyond terrifying."

Diana wasn't convinced. "Why does her flying still make it my dream? You gave her a Greek name that means 'defender of mankind'. I wouldn't want her doing what we do either, but if the Gods wish it to be –"

"Princess," Bruce said as he sat down on the blanket beside them. "Would it be ok if we discussed the wishes of your Gods another time? Umph!" He grunted as the toddler flung herself from her mother's lap to her father's.

"Mommy?"

Bruce and Diana turned their attention back to the little girl, who was still sitting and inspecting the black walnut in her hand.

"Yes, my little Sun and Stars?" replied Diana, relaxing a bit as she realized that Bruce appeared quite at ease with this little wonder.

A tiny hand reached out toward her. A tiny index finger and tiny thumb came together to easily crush the shell, exposing the nut inside. "Hungry?"

Their eyes opened from the shared dream at precisely the same moment. They were both lying in Bruce's large bed. Diana's back was pressed tightly against his chest, his right arm draped across her waist. It tightened around her as they both awakened. They laid there for a long time, basking in the rare moment of quiet tranquility and contemplating the future that lie ahead of them. They didn't speak. They didn't need to.

Eventually, Diana rolled onto her back and Bruce raised himself to rest on his elbow. Their eyes locked and the questions in hers sought out answers in his.

"I'm in your bed."

"You are."

"How did I get here?"

"I carried you."

"_Why_ am I here?"

"I needed you to be."

At his words, the raw, physical need to be as close to him as possible surged through her. She reached up to thread her fingers through the mass of thick black hair and pulled his lips to hers. His hands, his lips, his tongue – were like fire and lightning put together – everywhere his skin touched hers. His teeth bit down gently on her lower lip to draw her mouth open so he could plunge his tongue inside. The feeling of searing heat and electricity was overwhelming and she wanted nothing more at that moment than to be consumed by it.

When his lips pulled away from hers, he blazed a path of scorching kisses along her throat to her collarbone. Diana arched her back toward him and buried both fists in his hair. She forcefully pulled him closer, silently granting him access to every part of her and allowing him to take all that he wanted. And he wanted nothing more than to take what she offered – and consume every bit if it.

It would be so easy to temporarily lose himself in her and forget all that blocked their way. But when she bent her legs to grip his hips firmly between her thighs, he finally pulled away and collapsed onto her, breathing heavily into the pillow above her right shoulder. After a moment, he raised himself from her and rolled over onto his back. He bent his arm above him, covering his eyes with the back of his arm.

"Bruce?" she questioned.

"Princess, I'm going to need your help with this." His arm remained resting over his eyes as he continued. "I need for you to not be so willing. It makes it very difficult to hold back my biological urges."

Diana rolled onto her side to face him. "I can't do that, Bruce. I _am_ willing and I really don't want to control my _biological urges._" She smiled mischievously and ran her hand across his chest for emphasis.

Bruce groaned loudly and sat up. He looked at her pointedly, his eyes still clouded with lust. "Ok, Princess. Then help me with something else."

X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

An hour later, they found themselves in the training room. Alfred had taken the liberty of providing a drawer full of Rogiani fitness wear for Diana's use. She quickly chose a pair of basic black jogging shorts and blue racerback tank top. Her Wonder Woman uniform was left on a table in the cave, as Diana intended on making a trip to the Watchtower to begin the process of integrating into the League active-duty rotation schedule. Her temporary living arrangements had not yet been discussed. However, long-term she had decided it would be appropriate to purchase an apartment in New York, as Donna had expressed an interest in attending art school.

Now, both dressed in their workout clothes, they prepared to test Bruce's new 'limits'. Bruce had brought in several long, iron wrenches from his collection of tools used for repairs to the Batmobile.

He picked up the largest one first. "Might as well go for broke," he said. Bruce held the large tool out in front of him, holding an end in each hand. He applied a little pressure and easily bent the wrench into a horseshoe. He turned to Diana, smirking a little. He handed to her and she easily bent it back into its original shape. "We wouldn't want you not to be able to fix your car," she said with a laugh.

Bruce quirked a brow at her and shook his head. "Ok, Princess. Time to power-up." He crouched slightly, indicating that it was time to spar.

Diana gave him a surprised look before she assumed the same position. So far, Bruce had taken this aspect of their connection in stride. He actually seemed to be trying to hold back some enthusiasm. She came to the conclusion that Batman was probably ok with this because it would help his mission.

Wonder Woman and Batman sparred often, but always did so 'powered down'. For Diana that meant relying on fighting skill and technique, rather than superhuman strength and speed. For Batman, powered down meant that he didn't have access to the utility belt and all of custom made weapons in his arsenal.

Today _'_poweredup' meant backing up technique with enhanced strength. It took bit of coaxing, and a few hits, for Bruce to get Diana to stop holding back and pulling her punches. Once she finally let go, they went full-out. Adrenaline rushed through her as she had never had a sparring experience quite like this before. She grew up fight with skill and strength on Themyscira but she still had needed to hold back a bit. Sparring with Kal tested her strength but not her skill set. But Bruce knew so many different techniques, many of that he had taught her to increase her skill set, that coupled with the enhanced strength made him an incredible challenge.

Fortunately, the walls of the cave were solid granite or concrete, so the only significant damage inflicted was to the equipment and not to the cave itself.

For several hours they traded blows. It quickly became clear that Bruce and Diana were almost evenly matched in strength. Diana still had the edge on speed – Bruce had not acquired this enhanced ability. Bruce still had the edge on skill and technique, having mastered more fighting styles than Diana.

If they thought that the physical exertion would diminish any of the unsatisfied urges they had experienced earlier, they were wrong. The new dynamic in their sparring had their blood singing with pent up passion. With each hit, takedown, and each time someone was pinned against the floor or against the wall, the tension continued to build. Eventually Diana reached her limit and pinned Bruce to the floor, straddling his waist and pressing his wrists to the floor above his head. Their eyes fixed on each other, Diana started to lean down to kiss him. Bruce didn't resist, in fact he started to lift his head to meet her half way.

"Ah-hmm."

They both froze as they quickly realized they were not alone, and looked in the direction of the voice. Zatanna stood there watching them, grinning ear to ear. Diana jumped off of Bruce, her face again glowing attractively as her cheeks reddened.

Bruce jumped to his feet as well, sending an indignant look in Zatanna's direction as he grabbed a bottle of water. He drank in large gulps as he mentally squashed his arousal. "Zana, can't you just use the teleporter so I know when you're coming?"

"Ahh, what would be the fun in that?" Zatanna chuckled. "Besides you know I trust magic and my own powers over some hybrid of alien technology you strung together on two hours of sleep." She gave him a cheeky smile at which he glared causing Diana to chuckle.

"I know what you mean, sister. I trust armor and weapons forged by Hephaestus over high tech weaponry any day," Diana added.

Bruce shook his head and rolled his eyes before getting back to business. Batman was never far from the surface. "You have something?" he asked.

"Maybe. The best I think I'm going to come up with at least."

Bruce felt Diana's questioning eyes on him and turned to explain. "I asked Zatanna to check with her mystical connections to find out what's happened to us." He turned back to Zatanna and asked, "Exactly where did this information come from?"

Zatanna's eyes darted away from his briefly before she answered. "Well…it came from Morgaine Le Fey."

Bruce stared hard at her, clearly disturbed by her response. "Why her?" he asked.

Raising her chin in defiance, she responded, "Well, you wanted answers, right? I thought the fastest way to get them was to find the oldest mage I could. She's been practicing magic for a over a thousand years, Bruce. So, I found Jason Blood and we went to see Morgaine."

"That was a serious risk, Zana. Why would she help you at all? What did it cost?" Bruce continued to stare hard at her.

"Since your adventure as eight year-olds, it seems that she has found taking care of a geriatric son is much harder than taking care of a psychotic pre-adolescent son. She is still pissed at you for that by the way and it was good I didn't mention I was helping you. She wants me to help her find a way to restore Mordred's youth."

"Why would we want to do that?" Bruce growled.

Zatanna huffed, becoming impatient with the third-degree. "Look, at least this way we're more likely to know when she figures out how to do it and we can be prepared. Besides, if I'm helping her I don't have to help her as quickly as I did you."

"How do you know anything she said was true?" Diana asked, cutting off Bruce's inquisition.

"Nobody knows better than Jason when Morgaine is lying. He didn't think she was and well, she gave me a reasonable explanation. Some of it good, some of it not so much. A lot of it speculation, at best. Mind if I sit? This might take awhile." Without waiting for a response, she said "riahc" and sat down in the wing back chair that suddenly appeared. Making herself comfortable, she continued, "As I was saying, her explanation involved a concept that is as old as mankind itself. Nearly every civilization – yours too, Diana – has tried to explain why humans seem to be drawn into this search for love, to find that _one_ person that they think they are _meant_ for. To find the _one_ person that makes them _whole_. It's been called many things - twin souls, twin flames, soulmates…"

Diana nodded. "I know the story, but much so-called Greek mythology is exaggerated by the storytellers or is based on the exaggerations of the Gods themselves. I've never had the occasion to ask how much of this particular one is true. The way it's told, humans originally had four arms, four legs, and a single head made of two faces. Zeus was supposed to have feared the power of this human form – something I find difficult to believe or believe that he'd ever admit to. Anyway, he split them all in half and condemned them to spend their lives searching for the other half to become whole again. But, Zatanna, that really doesn't sound much like this."

"Hear me out. So, each civilization has provided their own explanation but the notion is still considered to be myth. Morgaine assured me of the actual existence of soulmates, but the fact is that we rarely find them. We either never find the person at all or we do find them and don't realize it _or _it doesn't last because most humans can't deal with the emotions that come with it. So, even if they do find it, it usually ends in disaster because they can't handle the emotional intensity involved."

Bruce, who had been listening silently to this exchange with a look of clear skepticism, finally spoke. "Supposing that any of this is actually relevant, Diana is immortal. She has been her entire life. How could we possibly be _soulmates_?"

"Diana, when you were born, your body was sculpted from clay by your mother and your soul was taken by your Goddesses and joined with the clay form?" When Diana nodded, Zatanna continued, "So, if we believe that all souls come from one place – I think for you Diana, it's called the Cavern of Souls – then the idea is that you two were this to each other, before either of you took human form. Both of you were simply twin souls, separated when you were born as humans, and if we believe some of the consistent aspects of soulmate theories, you two have been attempting to find each other ever since."

"But that doesn't explain this – acquisition – of strength and enhanced healing that I've acquired," said Bruce.

"I know. Here's where it gets interesting and becomes mostly speculation. Morgaine didn't recall anything like this ever happening before. Diana, although you were born an immortal, you were created from a soul like any other human. It was only through the gifts of your Goddesses that you were given immortality and your powers. Being meta-human, superhuman – whatever you want to call it – your souls rejoining might mean you could acquire some of those gifts as well."

"Like with Donna, though in that case they took a piece of my soul away from me and joined it to hers. Probably why it was so painful and this is not," Diana mused. "But then, why didn't Hermes, Athena, or Aphrodite just tell us all of this?"

Zatanna smiled at Diana's statement. "Morgaine had a theory for that too. She thinks that the Gods didn't consider this possibility when they sent a young Princess Diana to help a young Bruce Wayne through their dreams. She thinks that this is why they won't give an explanation – because they truly didn't consider the possibility that they were sending one soul directly to its mate. From a cosmic perspective, the simple fact that you would be chosen to go to him, Diana, demonstrates the pull that each soul has on the other in an attempt to find each other again. The Gods could have been influenced to make this decision unwittingly, whether they choose to believe it or not, simply because the strength of your connection pushed them to do so."

Diana sighed. "They would never want to admit that they didn't know what they started, so they refused to answer our questions. They would only offer what information was absolutely necessary to achieve their goals."

"Zatanna," Bruce interjected. "You said some of this was not good news. What is the catch – the cost?"

Zatanna sighed. "I know that you wanted to know the price for this..gift. To be honest, Bruce, I'm not really sure that there is one if this theory is correct. If it is, you were always meant to find your way back to each other." She paused and took another deep breath. "But, there is a belief in some cultures," she said and then looked directly at Diana as she continued, "and this includes the stories about this in your own, Diana, that once these souls are reunited and become one, they stay that way. Forever. So, what _could_ happen is that when one of you dies, the other will as well."

Bruce stiffened at this revelation. His eyes met Diana's as he began to quote from Plato's Symposium, the original writing that told of Zeus and the splitting of single souls into two. "I am ready to melt you into one and let you grow together, so that being two you shall become one, and after your death in the world beyond you will still be one departed soul instead of two…"

Diana felt an uncharacteristic sense of apprehension building within her. She recognized the translation. "Why do you know that?" she asked quietly.

His eyes remained fixed on hers as he said, "I read it in school. It stuck with me."

"Why?" she said as the foreboding continued to build.

"Because I lost both of my parents, together, on the same night, in the same moment. It was something that had meaning for me.." His gaze finally broke from Diana's and fell on Zatanna. "So, what you are saying is that this could be truth instead of myth? If we stay…together…and one of us dies on a mission or on patrol, then we both die? And if we were to ever have…" He paused, unable to actually speak the word. "…we'd leave them alone, without either of us?"

Zatanna shivered at the look in his eyes. "I don't know, Bruce," she said softly. "I just don't think this has ever actually happened before."

He was undeterred. "Your best guess Zatanna? If you don't have one, then tell me this – what if we end this right now, what happens?"

Looking at him regretfully, Zatanna reluctantly answered, "I did ask Morgaine that question. She expects that things would return as they were for the most part. Your new abilities would fade. The biggest impact would be on you both emotionally. She said that the missing piece that you fill for the other – it will seem bigger. It would probably be even more difficult to recover from the separation, if you ever do. But Bruce, like I said, this is all speculation – it is impossible to know."

Bruce pressed on, "The alternative, Zana? Diana was told that there would be difficult choices. Her Gods must know something about this. Is this one of those choices? Why don't they just tell her?"

From behind him, Diana whispered what she believed was the answer to this question. "They want _her_."

He quickly turned to face her, the angry glare in his eyes meeting the open sadness in hers. He knew exactly who she was talking about. They'd just dreamt about her a few hours ago. The two stood looking at each other, silent, for several moments. Zatanna took this opportunity to quietly slip out of the room.

"No, Bruce. I won't accept what you are about to say. Not now. I couldn't bear it."

"Diana. The world needs you. You know the risks I take. I can't risk your life while I'm risking my own."

"You wouldn't be. You are more durable now. You would live as long as I do which could mean you are now immortal. You could continue your mission and help save the world for a very long time."

He shook his head. "I am a risk taker, Princess. Often it is the only way to succeed but there can be a fine line between success and failure. My risks include using satellites as missiles and piloting them into the Earth to save the world. If I hadn't, it is possible none of us would be here. And I was fine with it. All I could think about, as that missile burned around me, was that you would still be here. The world needed you and you would be here. Safe."

"Bruce, the world needs you too. _I need you_." Overcome, several of the tears she'd be trying desperately to hold back, finally spilled over.

"I need you too Diana." His voice became more rough with emotion as he continued, "But I've spent years risking my life to prevent another child from going through the hell that I went through when my parents were killed. I can't set up a scenario that could lead to it happening to my own…"

He stopped and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist as she instinctively wrapped hers around his neck. He felt his shoulder become wet with her silent tears. He was choking on his own.

"Princess," he whispered into her ear. "I love you, don't ever forget that. You can't possibly know how much. But my own happiness isn't worth the possible consequences."

"Shut up, Bruce. I know how much you love me as I love you just as much. You are not only sacrificing your happiness but mine as well?" she choked out angrily.

"I'm sorry." There was nothing more he could say.

She abruptly pulled away from him. The sadness was still clearly seen in her eyes but equally mated with anger. Her eyes were blue fire as she glared at him for several moments before she turned and walked toward the door.

"Princess…" he called softly as she reached the door. Her pause was barely perceptible when he called after her. She continued to walk toward the teleporter, picking up her uniform along the way. He followed. After a brief moment, she was gone in a flash of white light.

Bruce stood staring at the empty teleporter pad. His jaw clenched and flexed with the emotion he was trying desperately to keep buried. After a full minute he walked to his chair in front of the supercomputer and sat down. He rested his elbows on the desk and held his head in his hands. He ignored the tears he couldn't control dripping down his arms.

He felt a soft hand on his shoulder. "Bruce?" Zatanna knew him well. There were pieces to be picked up after the fallout. So, she'd waited. "I'm so sorry," she said.

He didn't move. "Why would it be me, Zana? She deserves better than this. She deserves better than me."

"Because each of you has exactly what the other needs. I think you know that your need is emotional. You hide your emotions away and repress them because they are the most fragile part of you. I don't think you'd deny that. Her emotions are the strongest of her many strengths, as she offers them freely and unconditionally. I have often been amazed by the love and compassion she can show to the vilest of people. She heals your heart – her power means your body is healed as well. She gives you emotional strength – her physical strength comes with it. She's superhuman, so it would make sense that she'd be giving that much more of herself whether she had planned to or not. Of course, in her case, being who she is – there isn't any part of herself that she wouldn't give you."

"Then what could she possibly need from me? All I could ever give her would be disaster and heartbreak."

"You offer her something she has never had and has wanted her whole life, Bruce. Love. Yes she is well loved by her mother and sisters, but she was willing to leave them to help the world. Diana is the epitome of self-sacrifice. Much like yourself. She gives, but has a hard time taking anything from anyone. Even if she were more comfortable with it, she is so strong, only the most intense of emotions would truly satisfy her. Your incredible will is only matched by the intensity of your emotions. I've seen glimpses of it. Unfortunately you choose to use that force of will to hide those emotions, intense but still so fragile, so few ever get to experience them."

Finally Bruce picked up his head and looked over at the teleporter pad where Diana last stood.

He wiped his eyes and took deep meditative breaths to push his emotions aside but found himself struggling. "Why does it feel like a piece of me has been ripped away?"

"Bruce, that's because it has been."


	13. Stalemate

A/N: **co-authored** by DaisyJane - at least I'd call it that. WAY more than a beta. You rock, DJ.

Very minor spoilers for 'Doomsday Sanction'

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. Song owned by Linkin Park. No copyright infringement is intended.

**STALEMATE**

I dreamed I was missing  
You were so scared  
But no one would listen  
'Cause no one else cared

After my dreaming  
I woke with this fear  
What am I leaving  
When I'm done here?

Don't be afraid  
I've taken my beating  
I've shared what I've made  
I'm strong on the surface  
Not all the way through  
I've never been perfect  
But neither have you

Forgetting all the hurt inside  
You've learned to hide so well  
Pretending someone else can come  
And save me from myself  
I can't be who you are

When my time comes  
Forget the wrong that I've done  
Help me leave behind some  
Reasons to be missed  
Don't resent me  
And when you're feeling empty  
Keep me in your memory  
Leave out all the rest  
Leave out all the rest

Forgetting all the hurt inside  
You've learned to hide so well  
Pretending someone else can come  
And save me from myself  
I can't be who you are  
I can't be who you are

_**Leave out all the rest – Linkin Park**_

Diana materialized on the teleporter pad in the Watchtower to find several Leaguers that had arrived on the satellite just before her. Instinctively her chin lifted and her back straightened. She was determined to face the world the poise and dignity befitting an Amazon, regardless of the pain she felt. And she could not even begin describe the empty pain that she felt. She walked past her teammates and nodded politely but did not speak. Unfortunately for her, Superman was among the group. He watched intently as she stepped off the teleporter pad. She smiled faintly at him and walked toward the door, praying silently that he would let her leave alone and save any questions he had about her life for later.

No such luck. Superman's careful examination of her demeanor fairly guaranteed that she wouldn't escape easily. Despite her attempt to hide it, he took note of her slightly reddened and puffy eyes. Most wouldn't notice. However, for him, with his acute senses and the fact he knew her so well, he could easily read her emotions. He followed her out of the teleport center toward the elevators that would take her to Dormitory Deck A.

"Diana." His tone told her right away that he knew there was a problem.

She maintained her calm expression and continued walking, staring straight ahead. As she walked, she asked him gently, "Please Kal. Not right now. Can we talk later."

He nodded. He didn't know the details of course, but he knew where she had just been. Besides, he knew them _both_ so well, a detailed explanation at that moment really wasn't necessary. "Ok. For now. Do you need to borrow my room? Will you be leaving again?" He felt sick at the thought of it.

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. To both questions. I think I would like to stay with Donna in my room tonight. Tomorrow we'll go to New York and look for an apartment. I'm not leaving. At least not anytime soon." They stopped in front of the elevator and Diana turned to face him.

"Is there something I can do? Anything at all?"

"No Kal, but thank you. All I really want right now is to see my sister." She stepped inside the elevator, turned to face him, and offered a sad smile before the doors closed between them.

Thankfully, Diana was alone on the elevator. Stepping off, she walked slowly down the hallway. She had almost reached her room when another door opened. Shayera stepped out into the hallway. Diana closed her eyes briefly and braced herself. Shayera, like Kal, knew her too well. When she opened them, Shayera was standing right in front of her, face inches from her own.

"What did he do?" Shayera's eyes narrowed as she scowled.

Diana sighed. "Please, Shay. Later, I promise."

"Will you be leaving again?"

Diana paused briefly and looked at the ground for a moment before meeting her friend's gaze. "I don't think leaving is an option for me now, no matter what's happened." She turned and walked toward her room. Shayera fumed as she watched her walk away. _Idiot Bat, _she thought as her hand stroked the handle of her mace. After a few moments, Shayera sighed and turned in the opposite direction and headed toward the elevators.

As she approached, Diana noticed that the door to her room was standing open. She stepped inside to find Donna in a seated fetal position against the large bed crying her heart out. Diana turned and quietly closed the door behind her as the same tears started to stream down her own face. When she turned back, Donna threw her arms around her. Diana absorbed her warmth and comfort as Donna started speaking.

"Great Hera, I had no...no idea the love...love between you was so...so powerful. I'm so sorry, Diana. I felt it... your heart...heart breaking...the...the second you arrived on the Watchtower." Donna took a few deep breaths and regained her composure. "Since you got back, I've been trying to give you some privacy, emotionally speaking, by putting up the emotional and mental blocks like you taught me when I was young. And honestly, I'd rather not get a glimpse into any more of the dreams you two share. As Wally would say, total TMI." Diana gave a bark of laughter at this as she pulled away and sat like Donna had by the bed.

Donna joined her and the sisters sat shoulder to shoulder as Donna continued, "This..." she swallowed hard to control the wave of emotion. "This pain...it was too much. It broke right through. It must be giving J'onn a migraine trying to tune out our emotional backwash." Again Diana smiled a little appreciating Donna humor so much right now.

"What happened? Everything seemed right on track at dinner last night. Dick said he had never seen Bruce so happy...so content."

Diana closed her eyes as she remembered feeling the same way. _Was that only last night, it seems like a hundred years ago, _she thought miserably. She sighed and leaned a bit more against Donna while she went through the whole story. As she spoke, Diana allowed herself to unleash her grief knowing Donna would understand and just listen. Judgment didn't exist between these two sisters.

Diana choked when she started talking about Alexandra. "I..I can still feel the warm...warmth of her body against me," she sobbed. "And now...now I will never hold her." The empty space in her heart seemed to grow at the thought.

Donna wrapped her arms around her sister and rubbed her back as she cried trying to absorb as much off her pain as she could. "She is beautiful and very special," Donna said in a soothing voice.

Diana looked up at her, startled. "You've dreamed of her quite a few times," Donna said in explanation.

"But I don't remember..." Diana began, feeling a bit shocked.

"You may not remember but you did dream of her, enough so that I love her too," Donna said softly as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Diana wrapped her arms around her as they both mourned the loss. Then Diana continued talk about everything. By the time she finished and her sobs subsided, Diana was lying with her head in her sister's lap while Donna gently stroked her hair. She was emotionally drained.

"Well, I have to quote Tim here, that sucks?" Both laughed at Donna's gallows humor.

"Mother is going to faint at how quickly you are adapting to the ways of Man's World," Diana stated with watery smile.

"Diana, do you know what you want to do now? Don't rush things. You don't have to make any decisions yet…" Donna trailed off. She hoped, as did everyone else, that her sister wouldn't decide to leave again.

"I am not going back to Themyscira. To be honest, little moon, I need you near me right now and I can't ask you to leave. Besides the pain isn't going to go away no matter where I am, so I might as well stay here where I can do the most good. I think tomorrow I'd like to go look for an apartment in New York," Diana replied as she sat up and wiped her eyes. Donna responded by throwing her arms around her sister again.

"Oh I love New York. Dick and Wally took me sightseeing there the other day. By Hera, they took me to this diner in SoHo that had the best chocolate cake. Diana, why have you never brought me chocolate before? It is surely food created by the gods!"

Donna's enthusiasm helped cement in Diana's mind that she was making the right choice. The truth was that until this moment Diana really had no idea what she was supposed to do. The emptiness had settled in once again but she knew that even living in a virtual paradise wouldn't fill hole. After all that they had learned from Zatanna, she suspected that the pain she felt now wouldn't just fade over time if she returned home. It hadn't faded in the few weeks she had just spent there and there was even more reason to believe that it wouldn't fade now. She wanted to stay and Donna certainly wanted to stay. She would stay. She would be as close to him as he would let her be. Her soul would not allow anything different.

Very deliberately and purposefully, Donna steered their conversation to New York and specifically onto the topic of what neighborhood they should start their apartment search. Diana was grateful that her mother had given her a large amount of gold when she banished her from Themyscira. With Kal's help she had started a bank account and later Bruce had found her an asset manager that had done a good job of investing her money.

It wasn't long before the voice of Green Arrow, aka Star City billionaire Oliver Queen to some, interrupted over the intercom in their room that was tied into the main Watchtower communications system.

"Ummm. Wonder Woman?"

"Yes?" They both answered simultaneously. They smiled wryly at each other.

He chuckled. "J'onn asked me to contact you. There are two teams going to help evacuate civilians from the Gulf of Mexico coastline. A monster storm is developing and looks to be headed toward the Louisiana bayou. Can you go?"

"Yes," they both replied.

"Uh-ok. Should I tell J'onn you are both going?"

This time only Donna responded. "Yes, Arrow. We'll be at the teleporter in ten minutes."

Diana looked at Donna questioningly before directing her gaze to her uniform that was still lying where she had put it on the bed, right after she arrived. "We're both going?"

Donna smiled at her, "Yes. I think it's the perfect time to reveal my new Alfred Pennyworth original."

Diana and Donna spent the next several hours helping their teammates move entire apartment buildings of civilians to higher ground and transport pallets of sandbags to help stem the rising waters. As soon as everything appeared to be in hand and the populous was prepared to weather the storm, the hurricane shifted direction and began to quickly weaken. They were prepared for the flooding, which thankfully was to be significantly less severe than predicted.

The second team, which included Diana and Donna, were teleported up to the Watchtower from the gulf coast several minutes after the first team. The room was full of drenched and dripping Leaguers who had spent the last few hours in the soaking rains of a tropical storm. Watchtower crew members were circulating with towels and Donna grabbed two, handing one to Diana. Diana immediately noticed J'onn and Superman standing off to the side conversing quietly. As she dried herself and approached them, they both immediately stopped talking and looked at her with apprehension.

A sudden wave of uneasiness swept over her. She'd seen those looks on their faces before. The last time had been when J'onn told her that they were unable to reach Bruce after he had used a Javelin to direct a missile off-course from a direct hit on San Baquero. Something was very wrong.

~~Six hours earlier~~

Not long after Diana left, Bruce had thanked Zatanna and asked her to leave. Batman wouldn't tolerate much comforting. He needed to be alone. Although reluctant, Zatanna acquiesced. She made her way up to the manor saying something about Alfred's cooking and a late lunch. He wasn't sure. He wasn't really listening.

After that, he hadn't moved from his chair in the cave. He'd been sitting there for hours. Patrol couldn't come quickly enough. At least beating the daylights out of some thug had the potential to temporarily refocus his mind on something other than Diana.

He had tried to work, focus on open cases – on anything that would stop his constant thoughts of her. It didn't work. With each memory of her that invaded his mind, the gaping hole that had opened inside him when she left grew wider, deeper, and darker. He was quite familiar with both physical and emotional pain. Although, not usually at the same time. This felt like both and at the same time and there was a new pain he'd never felt before. Even with all his various training and vast strength of will he could not repress it.

Eventually, he turned his attention to the local, national, and global news reports. The prominent story was a monster of a storm that had developed very quickly in the Gulf of Mexico, prompting widespread panic and evacuations up and down the coast. He pulled the mission logs from the League server. Two teams had been sent to help with the evacuations. Diana was in New Orleans. He felt some small measure of relief that she was still here, mixed with the concern he had always felt when she was on a mission. He began to watch news reports from the city.

After nearly an hour, movement from behind him drew his attention away from the New Orleans news feeds. Bruce glanced at the clock. Six. Time for Alfred to be checking in before dinner. He wasn't ready to face him yet, but there was no way to avoid it.

"Excuse me, Master Bruce, is there something in particular you or Miss Diana would like for dinner?" The question came exactly as expected.

"No. She left." Bruce remained facing toward the monitors and continued to watch the news reports.

"Will she be returning this evening, sir?"

"No."

A pause. "If I may ask, what did you do?"

Bruce flinched at his reprimanding tone and the directness of his question. Alfred already knew she was gone. "What I had to," he replied with his back still turned.

"I have no doubt that you believe that. Bruce, if I may, had your parents known of what could happen to them, would it have been preferable for them not to have had you?"

Bruce finally turned to face him. His face expressed his shock at having been asked this question. "How do you –"

"Miss Zatanna had much more on her mind than a free meal when she came upstairs to find me after your discussion. Now, again, would it have been preferable for them not to have had you?"

Bruce looked away as he responded, "Maybe it would have been. There are times when I wish I had never been born."

A rare expression of anger briefly flashed across the older man's face before the typical stoicism returned. "And if that had been the case the world would probably be a wasteland over run by the Imperium. So let me ask the question another way. Had your parents known of what could happen to them, would they have chosen not to bring you into the world? Particularly if they had any sense of what you might mean to it? To Gotham?"

"Alfred…"

"They would have done whatever necessary to avoid what happened, but you, sir, would still have come to be," Alfred answered for him. "And yet, you choose to deprive the world of another miraculous being, very much like the one that left here heartbroken? Because of something that may or may not be? May or may not come to pass? Not to mention the fact – which you have apparently not considered or maybe you just don't care – that if you believe this theory of Miss Zatanna's and apparently you do, you are condemning yourself to living the consequences of your choices for the next forty years, perhaps. But for Miss Diana, you are most likely condemning her to the same pain for an eternity."

When Alfred finished his castigation, Bruce sat silently. His analytical mind had already considered these points, of course. However, hearing Alfred speak them out loud had a significantly stronger impact. He shuddered at the implied cruelty of his actions. Before Bruce could begin to formulate a reply, a call came from his League communicator.

"_Watchtower to Batman."_ Kent.

"Batman here."

A pause.

"_We just got word from Louisiana. There's a problem."_

"What do you want from me? You can handle a hurricane on your own."

Another pause.

"_It's not the hurricane. The communication came from Belle Reve. They were evacuating the prison. They lost some of them."_

"What do you mean lost? Lost what?"

"_Prisoner escape. Including Bane. It looks like he had backup on the outside waiting for the best opportunity to break him out and…"_

As Superman was speaking, Bruce walked to the training room and found the wrench they had used earlier to test his strength. Next, he went to the infirmary and grabbed some bandages and gauze from a drawer. He carried everything back to his desk and tossed it down. After grabbing a razor-sharp batarang from a nearby table, he held a pointed edge to the back of his left forearm and drew it across his skin, creating a six-inch incision between his elbow and wrist. He ignored Alfred's quiet scrutiny of his actions.

"…_he's been creating a path of destruction across the South, from the Louisiana bayou into Alabama. He seems to be heading northeast –"_

"Toward Gotham," Bruce replied angrily. He began to bandage the wound loosely in gauze until Alfred took the gauze and wrapped it properly around Bruce's forearm, his continued irritation with his surrogate son still plain in his body language.

"_It looks that way. He's apparently blown up several gas stations and robbed several banks. Four people are dead so far. Why wouldn't he just run?"_

Bruce was having difficulty containing the anger that started building just after the call came in. Superman's last comment was enough to send him over the edge.

"Why do you think I wanted him in Gotham?" he roared. "How dare you interfere with that! He needed to stay here because I knew he would come after me again at his first opportunity. The closer I keep him to me, the less opportunity there is for collateral damage." Bruce paused to inhale deeply. "How long has he been loose?"

Another pause. Longer this time.

"HOW. LONG."

"_Five hours."_

"And why in the hell am I just hearing about this now?" he growled.

"_We just found out. Prison communications were down because of the storm and with the evacuation, I don't think the Department of Corrections realized there were even prisoners missing at first."_

"Corrections was moving them alone? Where was the National Guard? They weren't assisting? These are meta-human criminals. Why didn't they call the League for help?"

"_The Guard is helping to evacuate civilians. As for us - I think the government wants to prove that this time they can handle it on their own and do it the right way. We sent two teams to help with the evacuation a couple of hours ago, unrequested…Diana is with them."_

Bruce closed his eyes in irritation at the arrogant stupidity of government officials and Kent's attempt to elicit information. Experience with reporters and with Superman himself let Bruce surmise that the Kryptonian was aware that something had happened with Diana. He ignored the subtle attempt to elicit information. Now was not the time, if there ever would be.

"Fine. Now send teams after the other prisoners. I will handle Bane. My plane is still out of commission, so have a Javelin prepped for me. I will be up in ten minutes. And one more thing – when I get up there, stay out of my way. Batman out."

After terminating the connection, Bruce picked up the wrench that he had bent, then was straightened by Diana. Holding it by each end, he attempted to bend it again. It didn't budge. He sighed as he tossed it back onto the desk. He briefly met Alfred's gaze before he turned and walked to the changing room to put on the Batsuit.

Alfred followed close behind. "Excuse me, sir, is there a problem?"

"Bane escaped from Belle Reve." Bruce began the process of suiting up and transforming into Batman.

"And you are going after him? Alone, sir?" Alfred's typical placid expression was exchanged for one of concern. He saw past his charge's hard exterior, knowing that what lies below the surface was an entirely new kind of emotional turmoil. He needed the physical and emotional strength Diana gave him now more than ever. Unfortunately, he appeared to have lost every bit of both.

"Yes."

"Master Bruce, is that good idea? You're physical…capacities…seem significantly diminished."

"They are as they have always been."

"But sir –"

Bruce partially unwrapped the bandage on his arm. "No, Alfred," he said as he lifted up his arm, exposing the self-inflicted wound that still seeped with blood. "This is what I want. This blood is my own – mortal – blood. It tells me that now I can do this and know that she's not at risk. That is why I had to do what I did, no matter the pain." He rewrapped his arm and dressed.

He finished quickly and made his way to the teleporter. Alfred handed Batman a restocked utility belt. He fastened it around himself as he climbed the steps to the teleporter pad.

"I don't suppose it will do me any good to ask you to please take care?" It wasn't the first time Alfred had made this request of Bruce. For reasons he didn't quite understand, this time it sounded like a plea rather than a simple expression of concern.

Bruce stepped onto the pad, turned and looked down the steps at his surrogate father. "Thank you, Alfred," he replied, conveying affection in his expression, if not his words. He pulled the cowl down over his face and disappeared into the white light.

Thirty minutes later, Batman was piloting the Javelin into the Earth's atmosphere. Nobody had spoken to him during his brief time on the Watchtower. He was on the receiving end of several disappointed looks and a couple of hateful glares from the very few Leaguers who knew something about the situation with Diana and himself – or at least thought they knew something. Shayera stroked her mace and gave him a significant look before turning back to the screens in the monitor womb. Her reaction and the reactions of the others were what he expected. This was about Diana and they all loved her. That necessarily meant that he was a bastard. They weren't wrong but he had his reasons.

The crisis to some degree pushed everything else to the recesses of his mind, if not out of it. There had been several updates to Bane's activities since the initial call had come in from Superman. Four more bodies were found. Bane and his crew were definitely headed northeast and had passed through Birmingham, leaving chaos in their wake. Several deserted steel and iron factories had been set on fire and were causing significant trouble for local authorities as many still had remnants of the coal byproducts and other chemicals that had been used there while they were in operation.

Bane's crew had been well-outfitted in armored four-wheel drive Humvees and were traveling off the main highway. Much of their route was relatively rural country and the local police departments had been no match for their firepower. They ran right over them and kept going, stopping only to pick up what supplies they needed along the way, often leaving bodies behind. They were now moving somewhere along the Tennessee-North Carolina border, near the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Their final destination had really never been in question. There had been several reports of black bats spray-painted at various stops along their route. They were headed for Gotham. They were looking for him. Batman had no intention of allowing them to tear up the countryside to get there, so if Bane wanted him, that's what he would get. It would be sooner rather than later.

He did not, however believe that Bane's only objective was to track him down. This was an intelligent criminal. He would have an escape plan. Bane certainly must have had one that night at the docks, but an appearance by Superman was probably not part of any Plan B. Everyone knew – including the criminals – that Batman preferred to handle things in Gotham himself.

Entering the atmosphere was always preferable over water. It was safer as in the case of a catastrophic event with one of the shuttles, any debris would fall into the ocean. The storm had dictated the direction from which he would have to enter the area. His path was to drop in over the Middle Atlantic and cross over the eastern seaboard in an attempt to cut off Bane's faction.

After safely reaching the Atlantic, Batman set the flight plan and engaged the autopilot. He then pulled off the gauntlet on his left hand and unwrapped the bandage on his arm. The bleeding had stopped, but it had not begun to heal any faster than it would have two days ago. Satisfied that there was nothing left that would put Diana at risk if he didn't return from this mission, he replaced the bandage and gauntlet, then switched off the autopilot.

The last sighting of Bane had been just after he left the Watchtower. He came up on the Blue Ridge Mountains and dropped down lower to search for signs that Bane's crew had come through this way. He expected that they were skirting along the western edge of the ridge and he was coming in from the east. Utilizing all of the Javelin's alien technology, he scanned the dense mountainous terrain below.

As he passed over the crest of one of the larger mountains, the alarms on the Javelin began to go off. They had picked up an encampment along one of the ridge-lines that hadn't been detected sooner due to the masses of granite rock that made up a significant portion of this mountain range. As soon as the camp became visible, another high-pitched alarm went off signaling that a surface-to-air missile had locked on target.

Batman hit the eject button on the Javelin just before everything went black.


	14. Checkmate

A/N: I've been struggling with the last few chapters and haven't been happy with them (and still am not). So, many thanks again to DaisyJane for the beta/rewrite without much to work with and for the encouragement to finish the story at all.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

CHECKMATE

With the uneasiness inside her building, Diana strode directly over to J'onn and Kal. They watched her approach with a growing look of apprehension. Whatever was wrong, they believed it would upset her. Donna sensed it as well and grabbed her sister's hand as they reached the spot where their teammates were standing.

Diana faced them with a hard, serious look. So only Clark could hear her voice and J'onn could hear her thoughts, she uttered under her breath, "What is it?"

Both glanced around at the dozen or so League members still gathered in the room. J'onn didn't hesitate to create a psychic link among the four of them. Clark responded, _"Diana, maybe we should go to the conference room. I think you will handle this better in private."_

Diana turned away from Clark and faced J'onn. The telepath's eyes glowed orange as he listened to her thoughts and answered her question.

"_J'onn, tell me now."_

J'onn glanced at Superman briefly before mentally explaining as quickly and efficiently as possible. "_Prisoners escaped from Belle Reve while being evacuated due to the storm. Bane was among them. Batman went after him. We lost contact with the Javelin over the Blue Ridge Mountains. He hasn't answered any communications. We have no idea where he is or what happened to him"._

Diana's eyes grew wide and her heart began to pound as J'onn explained the situation. She directed her gaze to Superman, then to J'onn, and back again. She beckoned them to follow her out into the hallway and into a small sound-proofed conference room. Donna hadn't let go of her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "How long?" Diana asked out loud when they had complete privacy.

"Two hours," replied Superman.

Two hours. He'd been missing two hours and she had only just been told. So much could have happened to Bruce in two hours. Instead of looking for him, she had been hauling sandbags. She tried to remain calm while she turned blue eyes burning with anger at the two of them.

"I should have been told about this two hours ago. Why isn't there a team down there looking for him right now?" she yelled before pausing and taking a deep breath. "He's ok," she said, looking much calmer than she felt. "He can handle this. He's as strong as –"

"- As he was four days ago when Bane took him down," came a voice from behind her.

Diana whipped around to face the newcomer. None of them had heard or noticed him entering the room.

"I contacted the cave just after we lost communication with the Javelin and I couldn't reach him telepathically," explained J'onn. "I had hoped that they might have better luck."

"We didn't," Dick replied. He crossed his arms in front of him, purposefully, putting on a strong appearance, but his tone didn't match his posture. He sounded worried. Donna, her left hand in Diana's right, rested her right hand on Dick's forearm and squeezed gently. He smiled gratefully at her before looking to Diana, saying softly, "I spoke with Alfred. Bruce tested…himself before he left the cave to go after Bane. It didn't look like any of your strength or healing ability was left. I'm sorry."

"You mean he's lost…." Diana's voice failed her momentarily then anger set in. "That idiot."

Dick started to nod in agreement when Diana suddenly jerked away from Donna's grasp and out of the room. She flew down the hallway and dove over the side of the half-wall that led to an open area in the middle of the Watchtower. It overlooked a number of other floors in the satellite and at that moment offered an alternative and faster route than the elevators did. After taking a second to register Diana's abrupt departure, Superman, J'onn, and Donna were close behind; leaving Nightwing looking over the side to determine on which floor the group could be found.

They found Diana in the infirmary, frantically opening and closing cabinets, looking through the various clear vials of medications used to treat injured League members. Superman grabbed her arm to stop her and gave her a questioning look.

Diana glared back at him and roughly pushed him away. "J'onn," she said, "Pressure points may only last a few minutes. I need you to sedate me. Now."

J'onn looked at her with surprise. "Diana, any sedative will only work for 15 or 20 minutes before your metabolism processes it."

"Fine." Diana responded. "Hopefully, that's all I'll need."

The three stared at her in silent confusion for several seconds. Dick came bounding into the room and took a quick survey of the scene, noting the vials and syringe now in Diana's hand. Even with J'onn's power of telepathy and Donna's special connection to her sister, they were still a second behind Dick in concluding Diana's intentions.

"Hopefully that is either Zolpidem or Zaleplon," Dick said. "It would be useless to put her to sleep if she couldn't enter REM."

* * *

Bruce woke up with a start. The pain that accompanied his sharp intake of breath immediately alerted him to the likelihood of cracked or broken ribs. He was sitting on the floor against a wall, with his arms tethered above his head. He kept his breathing shallow to minimize the pain and slowly lifted his head to survey his surroundings.

He was alone in a small room with walls of what appeared to be solid rock. A single light bulb hanging from the ceiling lit the room and a single chair sat about ten feet from him. On the chair lay his cowl and a pair of heavy rubber gloves, the kind worn by technicians when working on live electricity lines. His captor had been prepared to get through the electrified defenses on his suit. His utility belt was nowhere to be seen. There was nothing else in the room.

Bruce tried to focus on the details of his capture, hoping to recall something that might aid in his escape. Seconds after his seat ejected from the Javelin, the jet exploded in front of him. Ejecting above the large, dense forest fairly guaranteed that he'd end up in one of the tall trees that dominated the landscape. Disoriented from the force of the explosion, Bane's thugs had quickly found him and fished him out of the tree before he could disentangle himself from his parachute.

Taking advantage of his vulnerable state, he was set upon by a dozen henchmen who took the opportunity to beat him from disoriented to unconscious. The sore and broken ribs that resulted sent sharp pains through his sides each time he breathed.

When he first regained consciousness, he had been lying in the back of a Hummer truck with his hands and ankles bound. The tailgate was open, allowing him to view the quick work Bane's crew made of tearing down their encampment. It had apparently been established for the sole purpose of taking down Batman's plane when he inevitably came after them. He lay there cursing himself. This had been a much more elaborate and well-planned trap than the one on the docks had been. Nevertheless, it was still a trap and he had fallen for it – hook, line, and sinker.

"No mueves," growled a voice from behind him. A second later he heard the metal on metal sound of a round of ammunition sliding into place. Around the edge of the truck appeared the masked gunman, with his semi-automatic pistol pointed at Bruce's head. Another voice that came from out of his line of sight warned in Spanish that 'el jefe' would not be pleased if he killed 'el murcielago'.

Their dialogue revealed that the gun pointed at him was apparently being held by the first unfortunate individual who had removed his belt and attempted to remove his cowl, receiving a strong jolt of electricity from both. The man seemed quite angry about it, as well. His more rational friend reminded him that 'el jefe' had told them the mask of 'murcielago' was not to be removed by anyone but 'el jefe' himself and he was lucky that he hadn't been disposed of for his disobedience already.

Suddenly, the tailgate and several doors slammed shut and several of his captors jumped in the back of the truck, weapons aimed at him. The truck started to move. Bruce estimated that they had driven approximately one hour through rough terrain before entering a tunnel and coming to a stop. He heard more doors opening and closing, then the tailgate to the truck opened just before a pain exploded in his head and everything went black again.

Now he found himself restrained in this small, dark and dank room. The air felt damp, as if he were near water or underground. Much like his cave. He lifted his head and looked at the wall above him. He was handcuffed to two thick iron rings that were imbedded into a solid slab of granite. His gloves and gauntlets had been also been removed. He pulled hard on his bonds. In this position, it was impossible to reach anything in his suit that might facilitate his escape.

He straightened his left hand and curled his thumb and pinky inward toward his palm. If he could just dislocate his thumb he might be able to get his hand free and pick the lock for his right. Pain shot through his ribs and hand as he pulled down on the cuff putting pressure on his thumb joint. Soon he saw spots and his vision fogged as he fought for the strength to make it happen. Instead he passed out for a few moments from the pain and small supply of oxygen due to his shallow breathing.

He was going to need some help getting out of this one. The fact that he'd gotten himself into a position that required outside assistance irritated him, to say the least. Losing half of his soul had made him sloppy and careless. Two things he just couldn't afford to be. Using something like telepathy was definitely not the kind of assistance that he ever wanted to need. Nevertheless, it seemed like his best option at the moment. Bruce closed his eyes, tried to focus, and attempted to reach J'onn.

After a few minutes with no success, the heavy wooden door built into the rock had swung open. Stooping to allow his head to clear the doorway, Bane entered the room. He stood for a moment looking at his trapped prey and chuckled.

"Good evening Mr. Wayne," he said in a heavy Spanish accent. "I believe I should inform you that it is unlikely that you will be receiving any outside assistance."

He walked over to the chair in the room and roughly tossed the cowl and gloves off of the seat and onto the floor. Picking up the chair, he turned and straddled it, sitting with his arms resting on the back. The chair creaked and groaned in protest as he faced his hostage

"You see, the area that we're in is rich in mineral deposits, including many metals. Minerals such as copper, zinc, iron, and most importantly, lead. Not a lot, but enough to make it quite difficult for any of your more talented associates to locate you."

"What do you want?" He knew Bane wanted him dead. Bruce just didn't know why he wasn't.

"Ah, I am a man with many needs, Mr. Wayne. However, initially, my only desire was for simple retribution. Years ago, Mr. Wayne, I was brought to Gotham to complete a task – to kill Batman. Not only did I not fulfill this responsibility, Batman humiliated me in the process of my failure. Something that was to be repeated several more times."

"Why haven't you already killed me?"

"My needs seem to have multiplied since I very recently discovered the vast resources at your disposal, Mr. Wayne." He gestured to the floor where the cowl had been discarded. "With the knowledge that I now have, several new opportunities present themselves. Besides your death, now my retribution can include your humiliation as I reveal what and who you are while I use your vast wealth to facilitate my manipulation of the corrupt criminal justice system in Gotham. I've not allowed any of these lesser men working for me to possess the knowledge of your identity – so there is no risk of it being disclosed by anyone else before I am ready to share it with the world. Then I'll kill you. No Bruce Wayne will mean no Batman or any of his protégés to interfere with my ambitions, should I choose to remain in Gotham."

"They'll never let you get away with it."

"They? Oh, you mean your far more talented associates? I believe that you overvalue your importance to them beyond Bruce Wayne's checkbook. It finally makes sense why they allowed you to participate in their endeavors. When you are gone, they'll be too busy trying to find new revenue streams to keep themselves functioning while their enemies take advantage of the chaos caused by your death – or by your checkbook's."

Bruce said nothing. He just glared at his captor, taking the deepest breaths his battered and broken ribs would allow. Bane was far more delusional than he had realized. Bruce took a small amount of comfort in the fact that no matter what happened to him, Diana would eventually beat this degenerate into a bloody pulp. His death would not be in vain if she survived to avenge him and stop the monster.

"What's the matter, puta? Nothing to say?" His silence apparently pissed off Bane. The larger man began to hit Bruce with his fists – hard enough to hurt but not hard enough to kill him. That he was waiting to do after they returned to Gotham, in order to earn the respect of the city's entire criminal element. The blows kept coming until Bruce lost consciousness again.

* * *

The fog was dense. Diana looked around; the thick mist impaired her normally crystal clear vision. She began to walk. She wasn't sure where she was going, but went with absolute certainty that she was headed the correct way.

The air around her began to clear as she entered the alley. She was back, in this alley, once again. As the fog lifted, she saw a silhouette of someone on his knees. The person was rocking back and forth. She could pick up the faint sound of choking sobs.

She drew closer and the details in the scene before her began to become clearer. She now recognized the figure. Bruce. As expected since she had come here for him, after all. However, on the ground before her was not Bruce, the man or Bruce, the child. It was Batman. It was the first time she'd come to him when _he _was in the alley. He was overcome with grief and holding what appeared to be someone's lifeless body.

Diana drew closer – close enough to view the entire scene. The sight of what she had come upon sent a fresh flash of anger through her. She was tired of this – so very tired. She would not tolerate any more of it. She reached her hand down to firmly grasp the broad shoulder covered in grey Kevlar and black cape. She slipped her hand further around to Batman's chest and fisted his suit in one hand, using it as leverage to lift him first to his feet and then off of the ground.

She pulled him to her and watched the visage of her own lifeless body fade, as if washed away by water. Diana pulled Batman still closer, until they were nose to nose. In a deadly serious and entirely unfamiliar tone of voice, she whispered, "Enough."

It took Bruce just a few seconds to get his bearings after Diana set him back on his feet. She watched the look of confusion on his face be overtaken by comprehension as it had so many times before when she had entered one of his dreams. Taking a few more seconds to process the significance of the situation, he pushed away from her and looked around. They were now in the training room of the cave. It made sense. It was the last place they had been together.

"Diana, you shouldn't be here. I don't want to risk you –"

His words were cut off as he felt himself lifted and tossed against the stone wall before he dropped into a heap on the floor. Diana grabbed him again and pulled him to his feet. This time she pushed and pinned him against the wall a split second before she crashed her lips into his. Her kiss was angry and passionate. It took his breath away.

She ended the kiss as violently as it began, pulling her head away even as she continued to pin him against the wall. "Don't argue with me. We don't have much time. Does Bane have you? Do you know where you are?"

Bruce nodded, his breathing still heavy from the effect of her kiss. "He said it was a tunnel. Inside a mountain, I think. It's probably a long-abandoned mine. It's probably twenty-five or thirty miles from where the Javelin went down."

"In which direction?" Diana asked.

"I don't know. The mine probably produced lead ore at one time. That might narrow it down. After his last attempt on my life he would want to try and use whatever means available to prevent the League from finding him. Especially Superman. The remaining lead deposits could shield him from Clark's x-ray vision. And Diana, he knows who I am."

She nodded and stepped back from him. "Are you hurt?" she asked, speaking more softly than before.

He leaned his head back against the wall and gazed into her blue eyes. At some point in their discussion, the cowl had disappeared. "I'm okay. I've had worse."

Diana frowned and responded, "That doesn't make me feel better, Bruce." She stepped toward him again and brought her hand up to his perfectly handsome face.

At her touch he closed his eyes and inhaled and exhaled slowly. He felt how deeply concerned she was for him; despite the pain he had caused her. When he opened his eyes, they reflected his regret. "I'm sorry."

She dropped her hand to her side, her earlier anger returning when she again heard the words he had last spoken to her in this very room. Her expression hardened. "Sorry for what Bruce? For loving me and then refusing me? Allowing me the briefest moments of happiness and then ripping it away? Or damning me to an eternity of never feeling whole again?"

"All of it. I wish you didn't have to be tied to me like this. It isn't fair to you."

"Hera you may have a genius level of intelligence but you are still an idiot," she fumed. "You didn't create this, Bruce. It just is, we were born soul mates and that can never change. You aren't saving me by pushing me away or trying to end something that can't ever _end_. If you die now, all you will have accomplished is forcing me into a fate worse than death by leaving me behind as an empty, desperately unhappy shell with only a vague hope for your possible rebirth." She paused, her eyes moist with angry tears. "I know that the person I was will have died with you. It's a life that I don't want for myself."

Diana turned away for a moment, inhaling and exhaling several times to calm herself. She turned back to him and said nothing for a moment before suddenly pushing him back against the wall again, a hand on each of his shoulders. She leaned her face towards his and the intensity of her gaze suddenly made him extremely uncomfortable. He swallowed. Diana now wore a look of unrestrained determination.

"So, don't be sorry, Bruce. I've decided that I've had enough of you making all of the decisions - having all of the control. I'm letting you know right now that I refuse to accept your position on this. On us. I'm not giving up or giving in and I'm not leaving. I will not accept a lifetime of being less than who I am."

Her eyes lit with a single-minded passion that burned right through him. He averted his eyes as he replied, "Diana, you are nothing if not resilient. You could overcome anything – including this. I can't be free to be who I am and do what I need to do if I know I'm risking you in the process. It has to be this way. I am not going to accept us if your death is tied to mine."

"It is like I am talking to a child sometimes when I talk to you. Whether you accept it or not we are tied together. You just can't see that the benefits of us together far out way the risks. It is very likely, most probable even, that you will live far longer and do far more good being mated to me."

She brought her hand up to his chin, forcing him to make eye contact with her. "Bruce, I fully intend on making things as difficult as possible for you. Between _my own_ strength of will and whatever cosmic power is at play, I'm certain that even Batman can't fight it forever. If I have to haunt your dreams every night, I will do so."

Then she was gone.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. "You'll haunt me in my dreams for the rest of my life, Princess," he whispered. "Whether you invite yourself into them or not. You've been haunting them for years."

* * *

Diana's eyes opened. She quickly processed that she was 'back' in the Watchtower infirmary. She hoped that she had given Bruce what he needed to survive this but she couldn't be certain, considering he was being a stubborn ass. She needed to find him. Now. She sat up and looked at the occupants in her room who were watching her expectantly.

"We don't have much time," she stated as she flew off the table. "Let's go."


	15. Resistance

A/N: Thanks again to DaisyJane for the beta and all of the suggestions. One more after this – I mean it this time.

RESISTANCE

A large douse of moldy smelling cold water hit his face, bringing him back to consciousness. He lifted his head to find his captor standing over him holding a now empty bucket and wearing a smug, satisfied expression. Bruce glowered at him.

Bane laughed, "You know, _puta_, if I planned to keep you alive for longer than a few days, I would take some time to teach you some humility. But since you'll be dead within the week, I would be wasting my time." He tossed the bucket into the corner of the room and went to sit on the chair, making himself comfortable for conversation. "As soon as your more talented associates give up their search, we will begin making our way back to Gotham. Despite your efforts, corruption remains the norm in the city's government and legal system. My conquering the Batman will provide for an easy transition into full control of Gotham – criminal and otherwise. To gain the obedience of the more colorful residents, it will of course, need to be a public execution…"

Bruce rolled his eyes, preparing to endure another heavily accented rant, this time a detailed account of how, when, and where he would kill him. Bane was just oozing smug machismo. Bruce had no idea how long he had been unconscious. He did know that Diana had been with him for a very short time and he'd probably been out for a lot longer – hours, most likely. Long enough, at least, for him to feel that some of the soreness had faded from the repeated blows to his chest, abdomen, and back.

He inhaled slowly, bracing himself for the stabs of pain that would come from his cracked and broken ribs. There was no pain. He frowned. He inhaled and exhaled deeper. Nothing. Physically, he felt fine. The realization quickly dawned that Diana had done more than share his dream. She reconnected their souls and left a part of herself behind. An entirely unfamiliar surge of panic flooded through him. Her life now depended on him surviving this and whatever else that came until he could put a stop to it. Again.

_Damn it. I didn't want this. _She was now forcing this on him. He felt a hot rush of anger momentarily supplant the concern for her safety. He would not be forced. Batman would not be forced. It wasn't what he wanted, but if he had to keep hurting her until she stopped – _so be it._

Batman pulled on the manacles that held him to the two iron rings embedded in the rock wall above his head to test his strength. They didn't budge. He began to scan the room again, analyzing all of the possibilities of escape. He felt more urgency. His freedom now equaled Diana's life.

As he began to construct different ways to free himself, he grew angrier with Diana. Each possibility was now considered in light of the risk involved to himself. In the current situation, the ultimate objective would be his own safe escape. He briefly wondered what was to happen when the mission involved the safety of others. His own was often disregarded. It was usually disregarded. Diana had just made his mission that much more difficult. He was now already second-guessing himself as he ran through his current options.

While he was weighing his alternatives, something Bane said caught his attention. The diatribe had moved away from a discussion about how he planned to kill Batman, onto a detailed description of the 'unfortunate circumstances' about to befall his friends and family.

"Of course, in order to firmly establish my control over Gotham, there will need to be a number of loose ends to tie up before and after I kill you. First to go will have to be your friend, the Commissioner. He'll be much easier to dispose of while he is dealing with the fallout of your death and Gotham's rising crime rate in your absence. Perhaps I'll release one of the _el locos_ in Arkham to take care of him…."

Bruce felt his anger turn to rage and his blood begin to boil. He breathed deeply and closed his eyes to suppress the emotion and maintain control. It wasn't working, the fury continued to grow as Bane continued his rant.

"_Los dos pájaros_ – your two birds – will need to be exterminated as well. I do not desire to be constantly concerned that they will interfere in my plans or seek revenge after your very public execution." Bane laughed in eager anticipation. "Bruce Wayne's sons will be so much more vulnerable and easier to kill than trying to hunt down Batman's protégés."

The knuckles on Bruce's hands clenched into tight fists. He was used to his own life being threatened. That happened almost daily. Multiple times. But now, this psychopath was threatening his family and friends. He could feel his heart pounding harder in his chest. He could hear the sound of it pounding in his ears. Batman's well-developed self-control was rapidly slipping away. As he pulled harder on his bindings, above his head he felt one of the steel rods move.

* * *

It was still several hours until dawn. The six founders had joined together to search for their seventh. Rather than teleport into unfamiliar terrain, they had used one of the Javelins to fly from the Watchtower to the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Once they reached the area where they had lost radar contact with Batman, they split into two teams. Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern left the plane and began to search for the wreckage closer to the ground. Shayera, Flash, and J'onn remained aboard the aircraft. J'onn continued to try and reach Batman telepathically while Shayera and Flash piloted and used the Javelin technology to scan the area.

They also retained communications with Nightwing and Wonder Girl who had returned to Gotham to collect the Batwing, as Robin had just finished with the final repairs. They were to rendezvous with the League and assist with the search, utilizing the Batwing's more advanced surveillance technology. Oracle was currently accessing all available research on the mountain range to determine where there might be mines large and shallow enough to house Bane and his henchman.

Inside the Javelin, Wally was engaged in a non-stop stream of chatter that revealed his high anxiety level. "…and why is the Batwing's technology more advanced than the Javelin's anyway?" he asked.

Shayera rolled her eyes as she glanced over at him. "Let's see, besides the obvious fact that _he's Batman_ and would naturally keep the best for himself? I would probably hold back the high ticket items in the Javelins too given how many crash, explode, or otherwise get destroyed annually."

"But _Bats _is the one that destroys most of them!"

"He pays for them too. Wally, how about when we find him, you ask _him_ why?"

Shayera sighed with satisfaction when there was finally silence inside the aircraft.

Diana, Clark, and John were flying just above the tree line, looking for signs of the Javelin's wreckage or any other signs of Bruce. John was using his ring to illuminate and scan the area, although Clark and Diana's enhanced vision allowed them to see where they needed to through the darkness. Clark had the additional advantage of being able to use his x-ray vision look through trees or any other obstruction. He was the first to spot the parachute Bruce had used to escape the exploding Javelin. He motioned for the other two to follow.

Clark called in the finding over the comlink, "His parachute is still tangled up in a tree."

The three landed on the ground and began to search the immediate area. Shortly, the Batwing arrived on the scene and hovered above, flooding the area with light. Diana caught sight of an object that reflected the light from the Batwing. She floated over to investigate.

"I've found his utility belt," Diana called out over her communicator.

"Don't pick it up." responded Nightwing from inside the Batwing above them. "It's got counter-measures to prevent it being stolen. You'll get a jolt of electricity if it isn't handled correctly. I'll be right down."

"No need," replied Diana, moving out into a clearing and within view of the hovering aircraft. She had the belt hanging from one shoulder, wrapped diagonally across her chest. "He showed me."

When her comment was met with absolute silence, she added, "So I could remove it." More silence. "He needed medical treatment!"

Another few seconds of silence was interrupted, of course, by Wally speaking over his communicator. "Did he show anyone else? J'onn, did he show you?" A loud thud could be heard over the comlink. "Ow, Shay, that hurt!"

"Let's focus," Shayera replied. "Is there anything else down there?"

Superman and John landed next to Diana in the clearing. "No, it's all clear," replied John.

"He said he was probably inside a tunnel or mine, about 25 miles from where the Javelin exploded," said Diana. "We just don't know in which direction."

"The mine would need to be a good distance from any potential tourist activity, hikers, campers, and the like." replied Nightwing. "Oracle recommends trying one of the tributaries off of the Lake, which is 20 miles or more southeast from here. The whole north shore doesn't have any real road access for miles that can be seen from satellite feeds. Just some old trails."

Without another word, Diana quickly took off toward the southeast. Superman and Green Lantern followed close behind her.

"Shayera and Nightwing, hang back." Superman ordered through his communicator. "I don't want them to hear us coming and rush their plans." He didn't say it out loud, but they all knew what he meant. He didn't want Bane and his thugs to have any advance warning that could give them time to kill Bruce before they could get to him.

By the time they reached the area north of the lake where Oracle thought they would most likely find Batman, J'onn and Donna had joined them. The five paused in midair to survey an expanse of mountains that lined the area between them and the lake.

"Can you see inside any of those mountains?" asked John.

Clark did a quick scan of the mountains. "I can rule out all but a few." He pointed out several mountains scattered throughout the range in front of them. "For some reason, I can't see into those."

"Bruce thought he was in an old mine with enough lead deposits left to impair your vision. J'onn, could you phase inside those and take a look around?" Diana asked. J'onn nodded and flew toward the mountains in question.

J'onn communicated back to the other five telepathically. "_I'm not finding evidence of any previous mining activity."_ After a few more minutes, he contacted them again. "_There is a very large mine. Inside there are a number of off-road vehicles and approximately two dozen men. They appear to be waiting for something."_

* * *

As the six heroes planned their mission, inside the mine Bane continued on his tangent. He was enjoying the power he currently wielded. "Unfortunately, he wouldn't post much of a risk to my operation, but we cannot allow anyone living who might inherit Bruce Wayne's money or prevent my taking control of it. And I will control it. Attorneys and judges, I've heard, are as easily purchased in Gotham as police officers."

_Alfred, _he thought as he continued to pull harder on his restraints. His captor began to chuckle as he watched Batman struggle against his bonds. "As I was saying. The simplest way would be to cause a fatal heart attack in the middle of the night. There is no honor to be gained from the murder of an old man. I will make a promise to you that he will feel nothing. However, _los pájaros, _will have to be disposed of much more painfully and publicly to fully satisfy Gotham's thirst for blood."

Bruce pulled harder and harder on his chains as Bane ranted. He had leaned comfortably back in his chair, completely unconcerned with Batman's struggling. When the steel rods finally pulled free of the wall, Bruce used his momentum to carry him forward and knock Bane off of the chair and onto his back. The masked man looked up at him in surprise. Bruce began to hit him with his fists as he stood over him.

The shock quickly wore off and Bane took the first opportunity to grab the front of Batman's suit and use it to propel him up over his head. Bane rose to his feet as Bruce crashed into the wall, falling hard onto the floor. As soon as he hit, Bruce rolled over and kicked Bane's feet out from under him, dropping him hard to the floor before pouncing on him again, hitting him with his fists.

As he fought Bane, Batman's senses picked up on the new sounds coming from outside of the room. He could hear crashes, yelling, and several terrified screams.

While Bruce was momentarily distracted by the noise outside, Bane managed to reach up and grab Bruce around the throat, using that leverage to throw the smaller man off of him. As Bane got to his feet, he looked around for Batman, of whom he had lost sight. Taking advantage, Batman jumped onto his back and attempted to render him unconscious with a chokehold. Bane quickly backed up and crushed Bruce between himself and wall. Just before he was forced to let go, Bruce tore loose one of the tubes that delivered the venom to Bane's bloodstream.

When Batman dropped to the ground, he rolled back toward his adversary, knocking his feet out from under him and sending him onto his back. He used this opportunity to grab the free venom tube and wrap it around Bane's neck and pull it – hard. Batman did not react when the other man lost consciousness within seconds.

Suddenly he found himself flying across the room, hitting the wall and collapsing onto the floor. He quickly got to his feet and turned, getting into a crouch position and ready to attack his next challenger.

Diana.

She had entered the room silently and had quickly assessed the scene before her – Bruce with one of the venom tubes wrapped around Bane's neck. Despite the fact that the man was unconscious, Bruce continued to squeeze – hard. If she had accomplished what she had intended earlier, Bruce now had enhanced strength and that would mean that she only had seconds to stop him before Bane's neck would break. She flew forward and pulled Bruce off, sending him flying across the room.

She dropped to one knee, unwrapped the tube and checked the man's pulse and breathing. Bruce stood watching her. Finally, she rose and turned to face him. He stared at her in silence.

Diana spoke first. "He's alive," she said. "Are you okay?"

Batman didn't respond. The eyes that stared back at her were emotionless and cold. Diana's forehead crinkled as she regarded him seriously. She'd seen that look before. Hell, everyone had. It meant that there would be no acknowledgment of her question and no discussion about what had just happened.

His gaze dropped from hers and he stared at the belt wrapped around her until she silently handed it to him. Batman fastened his utility belt around his waist, then pulled on his cape and cowl. He next bound Bane at the hands and wrists with meta-grade zip tie handcuffs he had retrieved from his belt. All of these tasks were performed in silence.

When he had finished, he walked toward the door, pausing as he passed her, "He shouldn't be alive. Not only is your life at risk now, but so is everyone else's."

Diana turned and followed him outside of the room. "Bruce." When he didn't stop, she repeated his name. Finally, she yelled angrily, "Batman!" Finally he stopped, but didn't turn.

When he remained still, turned away from her, she added, "Look at me when I speak to you."

He turned to face her, pushing back his cowl. The fury in his eyes shocked her.

After a few moments of looking at each other in silence, he growled, "How did you…why is it back?"

She had to force herself not to avert her eyes from his loathsome glare as she responded, "While I was with you, I tried hard to focus and give you as much of myself as I could. Even though I knew you wouldn't reciprocate. I didn't know if it would work, but judging from his condition," she nodded toward the door where Bane currently lay unconscious, "I guess something came through."

Apparently she was strong enough to have willed this for him, even if he didn't want to accept what she had offered. It was masked from her, but his anger now mixed with fear - for her and of himself and what he could be capable of when those he loved were threatened. "He knows who I am," he said. "He said he intended to kill Jim Gordon, Tim, Dick – even Alfred. And I wanted to kill him. If you hadn't come, I probably would have. If he tries to hurt them, I still could."

"You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. You just need some training –"

"He knows who I am and they're still in danger. Right now. It was hard before not to cross the line. Now I could do it much more easily and because of what you've done, if someone tries to hurt them, I may not stop myself in time."

"Do the others know who you are?" Diana asked looking past Batman toward the unconscious men lying strewn around the cavern.

"No, just him. But he'll use it. Any way that he can."

"We'll talk to Gordon. Just before we came into the mine, Dick told us that he just is waiting on the main road with armored vehicles to take Bane back to Gotham. We'll figure out how to stop him from using your secret against you."

Batman shook his head and continued to glare at her. "It won't matter. There are others that might keep it to themselves, but not him. His only real objective is to destroy me. That's all it's ever been. And he'll use my family to do it."

He abruptly turned, pulling down his cowl, and walked over to where Superman and Green Lantern were standing, discussing the best way to transport these men out of the cave and to Belle Reve. Diana silently followed.

At the far end of the cavern, Donna had been listening to Bruce and Diana's conversation. Right after they walked away from the room where Bane lay unconscious, she slipped in, uncoiling her lasso as she passed through the doorway.

After deciding how to proceed with the prisoner transfer, Batman returned to check Bane's restraints and prepare to transfer him to Commissioner Gordon's custody. As he entered the room, he caught sight of Donna whispering to the unconscious man lying on the floor. The glow of her lasso lit up the room and he could immediately see it was wrapped loosely around him.

After a moment, Donna removed the lasso and it instantly stopped glowing. She then stood and turned toward the door, freezing in her tracks when she realized she had been watched. Donna raised her chin defiantly when she soon found herself on the receiving end of Batman's suspicious glare.

"What are you doing?" he growled.

"Solving your problem. When he wakes up, he will have no memory of Batman's identity," Donna responded.

"He is my responsibility. Regardless of what he's done, you have no right to manipulate his mind or body because you think it is the right thing to do!" He grew louder as he berated Donna.

"Hypocrite," she shot back at him. "You talk about not wanting to risk Diana's life while you risk your own but you would let Dick, Tim, and Alfred be at risk when it could be prevented. I haven't known them long but I already love them and I will do whatever is necessary to protect them, even if you will not."

Diana walked through the doorway, back into the room, having heard their argument and sensing her sister's emotional mix of surprise, fear, and anger.

Bruce took two angry steps toward her with his fists tightly clenched. "I will decide how I protect my family," he said. His voice was barely a whisper but it was laced with anger.

"You like to make all of the decisions, don't you? You don't like not being in control of everyone and everything."

Diana was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the level of animosity being exchanged between the two and attempted to cut it off. She stepped between them and said, "What's done is done. Let's focus on getting him secured and back to Gotham."

Bruce ignored her and continued to address Donna. "Control? I wish I had control. Too often I find myself and my life being manipulated by the whims of a meta-human that thinks they know best." The fear he felt earlier was quickly being extinguished by his growing anger. "I've had enough of metas forcing on me something that I don't want." Flashing with anger, his eyes moved to Diana's as he finished speaking.

She shouldn't have been surprised by his comment, but Diana still felt as if she'd been struck. However, like Donna had, she stood her ground and stepped forward. "I'm sorry that you feel that way. Like my sister, I would and will do whatever necessary to protect those I care about. That means doing whatever necessary to keep you in this world because, despite how easily you can hurt me, I don't want to have to live in it without you."

She paused, taking Donna by the arm and leading her to the door. Before walking through it, she turned back to look at him. "I know I said otherwise, I won't force myself into your life or into your dreams. At least for now as I think you need some space to process this situation. I think it's time Donna and I go. When you would like to discuss this further, calmly and rationally, you know how to reach me."

He said nothing as he watched her leave. Despite his anger, he felt for the second time in a day like his heart was being ripped from his chest. Seconds after she left, Dick appeared in the doorway and looked at him with disappointment.

"Back off, Bruce," he said. "You're overreacting."

"Back off?" Bruce growled. "What she did – "

"I know what she did," Dick said, cutting him off as he crouched next Bane double-checking his restraints. "After that tirade, everyone does. Donna did what she thought was necessary to protect us. She's an Amazon. That's what they're trained to do. You should know that."

"Mind control. A violation. If we do it, it makes us no better than them – Scarecrow, Hatter, Grodd."

"Is that what you really believe? She used a gift she was given for the purpose that it was intended. Donna is as pure hearted as Diana. After everything that's happened, surely you know that Diana would do the same thing if it were necessary? It might take her longer to act since she'd know you'd disapprove – but if she felt it was necessary, she would do it without guilt and without regret. What wouldn't Diana do to protect you? For that matter, what wouldn't you do for her?"

"We have other options."

"Yeah but I think Donna forcing him to forget your identity is better than you killing him," Dick said baldly.

Bruce just stared back at him in angry silence.

"I can see the severe bruising around his neck, Bruce," Dick continued. "I am a trained detective as well and I think it looks like Diana or someone probably stopped you before you broke your number one rule. Donna calling you a hypocrite wasn't completely wrong now was it?"

When Bruce looked away, Dick persisted, "Bruce, how is scaring the Hell out of some thug to get information any different really than what she did? You're still controlling them. Using fear to affect their behavior. It's about the reason why. That's what makes us better than them."

Dick sighed when Bruce again had no response. "Come on," he said. "It's dawn. Let's get this scumbag out to Gordon and go home."

E/N: Reviews would be wonderful!


	16. Surrender

A/N: Final chapter. Expect a short epilogue in the next few days. Many thanks to DaisyJane for her support and wonderful betas throughout the writing of this story.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**SURRENDER**

Batman and Nightwing had provided an air escort from the mine to Gotham, securing Bane at Arkham for the time being. The psych evaluation was to determine if he should stay for "treatment" or go to Blackgate Penitentiary. There were multiple murders he had to account for in other states and the federal government would soon be wanting their pound of flesh. However, Batman had no intention of letting him ever leave Gotham again.

Five days after watching Diana leave the mine, Batman was in the Batmobile, racing at breakneck speed back to the cave. He glanced over at Robin, who lay bleeding in the seat beside him.

It had not been a good week. Bruce's days had been spent trying not to think about Diana, yet still hoping that she would come to him. She did not. His nights, after patrol, were spent hoping that when he went to sleep, she would come to him. She did not. On the outside, he was as cold and emotionless as ever. Inside, he felt like he was falling apart.

He didn't delude himself by thinking that this connection, desire, and _need_ for Diana would ever fade. Being emotionally crippled was familiar to him, though. He'd been that way for years and was prepared to continue to be. However, he wanted rid of these new abilities.

Zatanna had been of no help. She didn't believe he could just 'make it go away' and she was more than clear about the fact that she was not inclined to help him even if she thought it was possible. Her exact words were, "_Don't be a dumbass, Bruce."_

Dick hadn't been much better. He had agreed to help with patrols and with missions but never passed up an opportunity to state his unwanted opinion, _"Get over yourself and ask you know who to help you train."_

Alfred remained silent but in the most annoyingly judgmental way.

Regardless of what Zatanna, Dick, Alfred, or any of them thought, it was still a problem. He was becoming ineffective on patrol. Bruce had come to fear his own strength and worried that he would cross the line with some criminal or make a mistake that would get himself and Diana killed. As a result, he held back. He began to focus more on the detective work, reluctantly relying Dick or Tim to provide the muscle until he found a way to rid himself of Diana's 'gifts'.

Tonight on patrol he had hesitated for a second too long before jumping into a gang fight with some adolescent street kids. They had been young and he had underestimated them. His heart nearly stopped when he saw the gun pointed at Tim. Fortunately the kid with the gun had very poor aim.

As they returned to the cave, Batman was very aware that his protégé was watching him closely and with growing concern. Bruce knew he had been behaving erratically all week – ever since he and Dick had returned Bane to Arkham. Tim was no doubt worried that his getting shot had pushed Bruce over the edge. Tim had cause for concern.

"Hey, it's just a flesh wound, Bruce," Tim uttered next to him. He continued to try and be reassuring, "Alfred will put a few stitches in my leg and I'll be good as new. I won't even have to miss a night of patrol."

Batman ignored Tim's attempt at a comforting gesture, "Until further notice, you will not be patrolling." Bruce knew that Tim would not easily acquiesce to this mandate. Nevertheless, he wanted to keep Tim out of harm's way until he could resolve his problem.

Fortunately, Tim just sighed, evidently deciding that he wouldn't get anywhere arguing with Bruce at the moment.

When they arrived in the cave, he helped Tim out of the car and took him to the cave's sick bay so Alfred could sew up his wound. As soon as Tim was on the metal table and be attended to by Alfred, Bruce left them and went to change. He stripped out of his suit, pulled on a pair of cotton pants, and stalked to the training room to burn off his frustration. At least he would make the attempt. He went straight to the punching bag reinforced for training meta-humans. It had been necessary to bring several down from the Watchtower. He had already destroyed six that week.

He began to hit the bag – furiously – while he ruminated about the situation with Diana. He was angry with her. He was angrier with himself. He was also completely miserable. He missed her desperately. The anguish, it seemed, was a byproduct of the gaping hole in his soul that her absence caused. Each day, the hole grew bigger and the anguish grew deeper.

After an hour of violently pounding the bag, he landed a hit that caused it to break wide open, sending the material inside everywhere. Seven.

_Something has to give. It has to stop. Tonight. Now._

Bruce stormed out of the training room and went to the supercomputer. The cave was quiet. Tim and Alfred had left and were both probably asleep upstairs.

He picked up his discarded communicator lying on the desk. "Batman to Wonder Woman," he barked. He had not spoken to her since they'd left the mine five days ago. At the last League Founder's meeting, she had watched him intently but he had ignored her – or so he had made it appear. As much as he tried, he hadn't been able to really ignore her since the day they'd met – for the second time.

After a few long moments, he heard her respond. "Wonder Woman." She sounded as if she had been asleep. He glanced at the computer screen. It was 2:00 AM. Of course she had been sleeping. It was early for him, but it wouldn't be for her. He suppressed the wave of guilt, determined to see this through.

"I need to see you in the cave. Now."

A pause. "It's two in the morning, Bruce. I'm in New York. Can it wait?"

"No."

Another pause. Longer, this time. Then a sigh. "Fine," she said. He heard the click that indicated she had terminated the connection. She sounded annoyed. _Good. Maybe it will help her to just forget this._

While he waited, he tried to talk himself into believing that was what he wanted her to do.

* * *

Diana rolled over and looked at the clock again, confirming that it really was 2:00 AM. She collapsed back onto the bed and stared up into the darkness. He had ordered her to come to him. Now. It could have been so tempting to ignore his summons. She _wished _that she could. She didn't like being ordered around like one of his partners_. She couldn't ignore it though_. The yearning to see him was still there, regardless of the reasons why. It was there despite the fact that probably all her trip would amount to was another round in Bruce Wayne's theater of pain. With a groan, she sat up.

Slowly, she got up, showered, and dressed. She decided to forgo the uniform that she had just peeled off a few short hours ago and opted for a casual black halter dress and flat sandals. It was not necessarily practical for a short flight down the coast, but it was comfortable and easy to move in if she had to deal with some League-related problem along the way.

She went to the living room of the new apartment she now shared with Donna. It was simple and comfortable. After taking a day to recover from their missions in the Gulf and the Southern Appalachians, they had gone to New York and quickly found the perfect apartment. It was a penthouse – yet modest as far as penthouses go – allowing them more freedom of movement in the air. It had also been empty and since they didn't own much, Diana ordered some furniture and they moved in right away.

Setting up their home had kept her busy over the last few days, especially when Wally, Dick and Roy Harper had shown up to help. No one could clean and paint faster than the Flash and the boys added an element of fun to the experience. It was also nice to see Donna developing her own friendships in Man's World. She had been over the moon talking about the team that Dick, Roy and she were founding called The Titans.

But through it all Bruce had still been constantly on her mind. She ached to see him, even under unpleasant circumstances. Based on the tone of his voice tonight, she guessed tonight would more than likely be exactly that - unpleasant.

Before flying off toward Gotham, she wrote a quick note to Donna in case she hadn't returned before her sister woke up. Diana held herself back from flying full speed. Yes, even if she expected another argument, she was desperate to see him. But again, she was not inclined to let him see that desperation.

* * *

Diana knew that Bruce's security systems would make him aware of exactly when she made it to the Wayne Manor grounds. She flew into the cave using the tunnel built for the takeoff and landing of the Batwing. As she touched town, she immediately noted that he wasn't sitting at his desk. Based on experience, the most likely place to find him would be the gym.

Bruce stopped hitting the bag the instant she stepped into the room. He stood with both hands resting on top of the bag, leaning his forehead against it and staring down at the floor. It was several moments before he turned his head to look at her. She crossed her arms in front of her and looked steadily back at him. They stayed that way for several more moments, eyes locked, simply drinking in the sight of each other. They both attempted to maintain emotionless expressions, although neither was very successful. Even angry, the emotional and sexual tension was palpable.

Finally, Bruce sighed and straightened, turning toward her. She watched him shake his head as if to clear it of all thoughts except for whatever reason it was that he had called her here. She stood there silently, waiting for him to tell her what that reason was.

"Take it back," he finally said, in Batman's low growl.

She raised her eyes in surprise, knowing deep down that she shouldn't be surprised at all. Diana knew what he meant and she knew exactly what he was asking of her.

"I can't," she replied.

"Diana. I need it gone. Now."

"Even if I wanted to, Bruce, I don't know how to do that." Diana was growing weary of their tug of war and her face clearly reflected this.

"Tim was shot tonight on patrol. It was my fault – _our_ fault".

_Hera,_ she thought as her expression immediately transformed, showing her shock and concern. "Is he okay?" she whispered.

"Flesh wound," Bruce replied brusquely, without elaborating further. "But it should never have happened. Your _so-called_ gifts are making me a liability to my mission. Ineffective. Tim got shot because I don't know how to use them," he growled. "Take them back."

So, he blamed her. Again, not a surprise. Diana, however, was through being guilty over something that was beyond her control. She couldn't stop being in love with Bruce any more than she could stop breathing. "Bruce," she replied gently. "I told you. I don't know how to take it back. It isn't something that I can do."

"It went away before."

Diana closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and responding, "I know it did. I think that... maybe before…I still believed that we might not be together. I don't believe that anymore." Despite all they had been through and how he had behaved when they had last been alone in that mine, she had in fact, come to a realization over the last few days. She gazed back at him affectionately. "And I think even though your will tries to deny it, your heart wants us too much to let it go. We will be together. "

She watched his expression as he flinched and looked away before turning back to her, his expression still angry. "No, we won't, Diana!" he snarled. She could see he was having a hard time seeing the emotion she knew reflected in her eyes. Nevertheless, he forced himself to maintain eye contact with her and his voice and eyes continued to reflect only agitation. "This needs to stop. Now. I'm trying to protect you, damn it!"

Although his need to protect her was not new, his response stirred the anger of the Amazon warrior within her. "And I'm also trying to protect you!" she shot back at him. "My _so-called gifts_ helped you defeat Bane and get out of that mine. Alive."

"I would have gotten out on my own," he ground out.

"Maybe, Bruce. But it would have been much more difficult and much less likely."

Diana watched as his barely controlled anger erupted into full-blown rage. He took several steps toward her. In spite of herself, the look in his eyes and his threatening posture caused her to back up a few steps as he approached. She recovered quickly though and stopped, allowing him to come toe to toe with her. She looked back defiantly as he glared at her, his face just a few inches from her own.

"Don't force your will on me, Princess."

At his words, Diana snapped. She let her Amazon instincts take over. She abruptly pushed him away from her, sending him flying across the room to hit the wall right next to the punching bag he'd been using earlier. He collapsed onto the floor.

She quickly followed him to the other side of the room. "But you want me to bow to your will little man?" she said, standing over him with her hands on her hips, her anger matching his.

He slowly stood and turned to her, eyes ablaze with rage. "It's not the same," he said, through teeth clenched as tightly as his fists.

"Yes it is," she said before she turned toward the door. "When you are ready to actually talk and not just make impossible demands, call me." She was beyond irritated with all his alpha male nonsense. Just as she passed through the doorway, she felt a large hand wrap around her bicep and roughly yank her back into the room. Although he let go of her almost immediately, he stood close, forcing her back against the wall and again standing with his face again just inches away from hers. Diana had no choice but to be caught in his deathly glare.

"We. Are. Not. Done."

Her eyes now also burned with anger as she lifted her chin and met his fierce glare. "Even if I could take it back, Bruce, I wouldn't. If this stops you from repeatedly putting yourself on suicide missions, so be it." She reached up to push him away from her again.

This time, he was ready. Bruce quickly spun her around, turning her back toward him. He pressed his forearm across her shoulders and pushed his hip into the small of her back to hold her against the wall.

"I said we're not done," he whispered savagely into her ear.

Diana's breathing grew heavy and ragged as the telltale tingling of physical _need_ swirled through her and pooled low in her belly. She fought her arousal, unwilling to allow him to have the upper hand. Suddenly, she snapped her head backward and connected with his forehead, causing him to release her and take a few steps back. She quickly brought a leg up and around, attempting to connect with his head.

"Tim got shot tonight because I protected myself in order to protect you!" he spat as he ducked and grabbed her ankle. At the same time, he swung his own leg around, knocking hers out from under her. She hit the floor face down – hard. Before she could move, he was on her, pinning her to the floor and capturing her wrists above her head with one large hand.

"So then _stop_ protecting me!" Diana yelled as she turned her head to the side, struggling under his strong grip. "You are brilliant and incredibly skilled. You're just much stronger and _much more durable_ now. All you really need to do _stop_ thinking about how your actions might affect me, and _do what you always do_. You'll be fine – and so will I."

"Stop thinking about you?" he said, his breath was hot against her bare neck as she continued to struggle beneath him. He growled quietly in her ear as he pressed himself down against the entire length of her, "I've not been able to get you out of my thoughts since the day I met you. What makes you think I'll be able to do it now?"

She stopped struggling as now a wave of hot, wet desire flooded through her. Instinctively, she raised her hips up against him to increase their contact. The instant Diana felt how badly he wanted her too, she began to slowly rub herself against him. A soft moan escaped her lips.

Her actions broke through his defenses and in a flash he flipped her over and devoured her mouth with a hard, fierce kiss. She responded fervently, parting her lips to allow his tongue access to spar with hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck and lifting her knees to brace his hips between her thighs, she pulled him closer to her.

Only parting for need of air, he bowed his head above her right shoulder. His breathing was ragged and heavy against her collarbone as he spoke. "How can I protect you if I'm protecting my city, Princess? For the first time in my life, I can't plot, plan, or strategize out of this. I don't know what to do."

"I do," she whispered. "You protect your city and we'll protect each other. We've always accomplished more together than we ever have apart. You know that. I will help you learn how to use this. Just stop fighting it, Bruce."

He pulled back slightly to look at her, still pinned to the floor beneath him. For a long moment neither moved. Through his eyes, she watched the war rage within him. They both knew that they were on the brink some something larger than themselves. Predestined, preordained, meant to be…whatever term was used, it was beyond all resistance. Diana had long come to accept this. He was about to accept it too. As she steadily met his gaze she found reflected back in his blue eyes the storm of passion about to erupt.

Finally unable to be still for another unbearable second, Bruce crashed his lips into hers and again kissed her frantically. Soon the war that had waged between them became a battle to touch and taste as much of each other as possible.

Yes, it began as frantic and desperate. Both now so eager to consummate their connection – their bond – neither wanted to delay a second more. It wasn't champagne and roses, but there would be time for that later. Truth be told, neither was willing to stop now for fear that they would somehow not find their way back to this moment again anytime soon.

He moved slide his hand gently up the inside of her thigh. When he pulled his hand away, he took the small scrap of satin and lace with him. Overwhelming need then took over.

There was no hesitation as he joined them, the action simultaneously breaking their last physical and emotional barrier and making their final connection. The feeling of completion was overwhelming. They both stilled and closed their eyes, blown away by the intensity of it. They were still closed, but she felt the hot tears streaming out of the corners of her eyes, making wet trails down her temples and pooling into her hair that lie in a curtain across the floor.

"Princess?" he whispered.

She opened her eyes slowly to find him looking intently at her. She knew he could read in her eyes the honest and open emotions that had always been there – love, desire, need, affection. As she gazed up at him, Diana could read those same emotions in his. She had known he loved her for a very long time. Now though, his blue eyes revealed something new – something that had been missing for a very long time. Something that she often believed would be impossible to find in them. Something she had been longing to see for so very long.

Surrender.


	17. Epilogue

A/N: Conclusion. I want to thank everyone who reviewed - all of your feedback was taken to heart and I greatly appreciate it.

Yet another special thank you to DaisyJane for betas and everything else she's done to support this growing habit of mine.

Disclaimer - I own nothing, get nothing but a chance to escape the stress of my own world for a little while.

**EPILOGUE**

As the sun rose, Diana lay beside Bruce and watched him sleep, memorizing every detail of his face. Every detail of his expression. He looked serenely peaceful. She marveled at it.

The last few hours had been indescribably wonderful. After the shocking intensity of their first coupling had subsided, they climbed the stairs to the manor and secluded themselves within Bruce's bedroom. They poured everything they had – physically and emotionally – into each other over the next several hours. Nothing was held back. She watched as Bruce finally fell into a dreamless sleep just as dawn was breaking.

The connection that had first developed when they were very young – or long before, if the theory held true – made her feel completed, finished…whole. Diana hoped that neither of them would ever hold back again. With Bruce though, one could never know. She did know for certain, however, that any opposition on his part would be short-lived. Even if they were to try, neither would have the power to resist the other for very long.

Diana was under no misconceptions that life would be easy for the two of them. Much was unknown about their future together. After all, who before ever actually met their soulmate and could potentially anticipate spending a literal eternity together? She saw through his walls, masks, and boundaries, all the way to the very depths of his soul. A soul that now wasn't only his, but theirs, together.

She did know that he loved her. She knew he wanted her. She knew that, despite his doubts, he was now completely committed to her and had accepted that what they had was meant to be.

However, she also knew that he still wasn't completely convinced. He was not yet convinced that what was meant to be was also what _should be._

It would take some time before he became completely comfortable with the depth of understanding she had of him – if he ever did. He had dedicated his entire life working to stop others from having to experience what he did. She felt every bit of the pain that resulted from the most pivotal moment in his life. The pain that had shaped every day of his existence since. Pain that he had closed himself off with for years, but now shared with her. Even if only through his dreams, she had been there. She _understood_.

Many of the issues that had always been there keeping them apart still remained. Only now they were forced to face and deal with them.

Her immortality had been one of those issues. The fact that she was and he wasn't had always been an obstacle. They weren't completely certain, but it seemed probable that his life was now tied to hers, her immortality included as well. If it was, new issues and complications came with this change. The world knew exactly who and what Wonder Woman was. They would need to resolve how to handle an immortal Bruce Wayne. They had time, but it was a problem that they would need to work through together. It wouldn't be easy to resolve.

Exploring and discovering the limits of his new abilities could be one of the easiest and most enjoyable of their experiences together. That is, if Bruce would just relax and let her help him. Diana gently ran her hand across one of Bruce's strong biceps. She smiled as she wondered if at some point he would agree to spar with someone other than herself. Her smile broadened at the prospect. Batman vs. Superman. _Kal wouldn't have a chance_, she thought.

More complicated was the issue of having children. This was the issue that now gave Bruce the most concern, yet they hadn't discussed it.

They would need to plan for any eventuality if they did have children together. When they did. Diana felt certain that they would. She wasn't sure why, but she knew that her Gods had a vested interest in the two of them having children together. For Bruce that alone would be enough of a reason to hesitate. Despite what Bruce might want, she knew if it was something her Gods desired, it wasn't a matter of if but _when._

It was already at this moment a very real possibility.

With a sigh, Diana tucked the blankets more snuggly around the two of them as Bruce unconsciously wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. There was much that needed resolved and in the coming months and years they would do just that. Whatever came they would face it. Together.

Right now she was exactly where she wanted to be.

* * *

E/N: Reviews are appreciated.

For anyone interested, my next offering will be darker and probably posted as a JL crossover. It will be set post "Batman: Arkham City" after "Harley's Revenge". If you haven't checked out the game, I highly recommend you do. YouTube also has LOTS of video on it. Fortunately I live with someone who likes to play because honestly, watching it is great when you need a little Batman fix.


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